Inept Energy Suppliers

[Richlist]

Am I the only landlord who is appalled at how inept some energy suppliers are ?

Apparently there are 7 million private rented properties in the Uk. The mechanism for landlords to report a change of tenants to those energy companies either doesn't exist or is woefully inadequate & designed by idiots with little or no knowledge of the PRS. 

Like others I used to email the energy suppliers with the details. Many of those suppliers no longer accept or action emails and have provided badly designed forms to complete.

One company continually ignores my supplied meter readings, providing instead an inflated bill based on estimated readings. They ignore the photos I send them of the actual meter and it's readings.

 

[kerbut]

I now have it written into Tenancy Agreements that the electric supplier is SSE and the gas supplier is British Gas and cant be changed without my permission (which I wont give )

[Melboy]

Having just sold a property I closed the account with SSE easily on-line and eventually paid the invoice sent to me. I didn't encounter any problems.

I also take dated photo's of the meter readings.

[Richlist]

9 hours ago, kerbut said:

I now have it written into Tenancy Agreements that the electric supplier is SSE and the gas supplier is British Gas and cant be changed without my permission (which I wont give )

I think you will find that is an unfair clause and won't stand up in court. The law says, I believe, that tenants have a right to change energy suppliers.......so don't be suprised if the tenants ignore that requirement.

[Nev M]

Aren't the tenants legally responsible to submit the closing reading when they leave and the new supplier when new tenants move in to physical take the new reading?

Hmm how do you protect against this is a good question as technically the landlord could be left with a high bill if all are estimated.

Is there a way to write into the agreement or encourage they use a supplier will install a SMETS 2 meter for gas and electric? After that any supplier they use will have accurate data.

[Richlist]

Tenants usually take the meter readings when they move in and when they move out......they have an incentive to do that. However water meters are sometimes beyond their capability if they are 3 ft down a manhole cover in the public footpath.

It makes perfect sense for landlords to record readings when tenants move in and move out as there is usually a void period that landlords are responsible for......so landlords also have an incentive to ensure readings are allocated to the correct person(s).

Making something law or mandatory or writing it in a contract doesn't guarantee it's going to happen. The old saying .....' If you want something doing and doing right, do it yourself'. ......definitely applies in this case.

[Melboy]

Without exception I always take a photo of new meter readings. New tenant's sign for the meter reading on the day they move in and I always inform the energy supplier of the new bill payer. Reverse is done when they move out.

No chance of errors if I am in control of events.

 

[Richlist]

2 hours ago, Melboy said:

Without exception I always take a photo of new meter readings. New tenant's sign for the meter reading on the day they move in and I always inform the energy supplier of the new bill payer. Reverse is done when they move out.

No chance of errors if I am in control of events.

 

Yes I do the same BUT, you are obviously not dealing with the energy supplier ....iSupply Energy......they seem to go out of their way to ensure you will not be in control of events.