Never had an Electric bill

[flamazine]

Hello everybody,
My wife and I purchased a Cafe last August and we have had all other utility bills except the electric.
The Previous owner did not leave any details regarding the electricity supplier.My wife has rung several suppliers but no one seems to know who we are with.I have taken a few phone calls from companies offering contracts for cheaper electric tariffs and they do not know who we are with. We are sited on an industrial complex with the meter being with all other meters belonging to the other units on the site. The meters are read regulary (the meter men even call into the cafe) but we still havnt had a bill.
Are we liable for the cost all our electric from our moving in date? My wife did take a reading of the meter when we first took over. It is starting to worry me somewhat.
many thanks

 

[cjd]

Yes you will be liable as you are consuming somebodies product.

But if you've taken reasonable steps to try to resolve it, I think you're within your rights to wait until someone finds you then negotiate - they will generally deal reasonably with their own mistakes.

Do keep the reading safe and keep some cash aside for it though.....

 

[Mattonella Tile Studio]

We were in the exact same boat. After nearly a year we received a bill from npower for a high figure compared to our usage. I dug the original meter reading out and told them they were out on their bill. Their response was that unless the previous tennant would agree to a change (ie old tennant admitting to a higher read) then there was nothing they would do.

 

[grangejoinery]

I used to work for npower for 3 years in their business offices in Hull. You can call Mpas (Meter Point Adminsitration Service) http://www.energylinx.co.uk/mpas_online.htm just call the number for your area and they will tell you your supplier.

As regards to paying from the time you moved into the premises, you will have it to pay but they usually arrange a payment plan to help with the costs.

Hope this helps.

 

[deniser]

We got one 2 years after moving in. Don't worry, just keep some money aside and keep that meter reading.

 

[Billy_Ben]

it's a good thing you had your records on the consumption so you could at least have documents to show if there are any discrepancies when your bill arrives

 

[Officebird]

You really do need to start calling them (once you know who your supplier is) as it will take them ages to sort it out even once they know.

In a previous job we kept getting letters from the electricity company informing us how much we had used but stating that it wasn't a bill as we were on a key meter. Except we weren't on a key meter! I must have phoned them 20 or 30 times before they did anythign about it and eventually we got a huge bill through. As we were a non-profit organisation that relied on funding there obviously wasn't any money in the budget for electricity in previous years so I phoned them and told them that we didn't have the money. The fact that I could give dates times and names of everytime I called as well as meter readings I had taken on those dates they slashed the bill dramatically as a 'gesture of godwill' They reduced it by far more than I expected and it was quite a result so my advice would be to find out your supplier and start calling them, noting down all calls and who you spoke to.

Maybe this is the reason electricity is so high? How many other people haven't been getting bills!

 

[Billy_Ben]

if you really cant find supplier then just have to read your meter every month and set aside money for your consumption so it wont be that hard to pay the bill when it comes

 

[EfficientEnergySolutions]

You want to make sure that you find out who your current supplier is and either arrange new rates with your current supplier or search for rates with other suppliers and switch your supply.

If you don't do this then you will certainly be on the 'deemed' rates, which are basically the out of contract rates, and are extortionate - generally around 50% higher than contract rates.

You will be responsible for all charges from the date you moved into the premises, but current regulations state that suppliers can only backdate charges upto a maximum of one year.

When you say you moved in last August, do you mean 2007?

We use systems which allow us to find who your current supplier is (as long as you give us your permission) via your address or electricity meter serial number.

Let me know if you need any help in any of this and I'll be glad to be of assistance.

 

[bigjoe]

You might want to get this sorted ASAP. Can you run without electricity ?
We had a similar thing with water bills at our office, rang them up when we moved in, gave them new details and meter reading but nothing for almost 12 months.
I kept thinking they were bound to send me something, anyway they sent a bloke round and turned the water off, handed me a piece of paper with a telephone number on it and a ref. number. First contact with them in well over 12 months.
It turns out they were continuously reading the meter but the bills were going to a completely different address and obviously just being ignored by somebody.
Cost me a £75 reconnction fee, not to mention the near heart attack!

BigJoe

 

[grangejoinery]

You really do need to start calling them (once you know who your supplier is) as it will take them ages to sort it out even once they know.

In a previous job we kept getting letters from the electricity company informing us how much we had used but stating that it wasn't a bill as we were on a key meter. Except we weren't on a key meter! I must have phoned them 20 or 30 times before they did anythign about it and eventually we got a huge bill through. As we were a non-profit organisation that relied on funding there obviously wasn't any money in the budget for electricity in previous years so I phoned them and told them that we didn't have the money. The fact that I could give dates times and names of everytime I called as well as meter readings I had taken on those dates they slashed the bill dramatically as a 'gesture of godwill' They reduced it by far more than I expected and it was quite a result so my advice would be to find out your supplier and start calling them, noting down all calls and who you spoke to.

Maybe this is the reason electricity is so high? How many other people haven't been getting bills!

Unfortunately a business customer cannot change supplier if they owe their current supplier for electricity or gas, so they would have to pay their account upto date before they move as their supplier will just object to the transfer.

Have you contacted MPAS yet as I suggested?

 

[DuaneJackson]

Hello everybody,
My wife and I purchased a Cafe last August and we have had all other utility bills except the electric.
The Previous owner did not leave any details regarding the electricity supplier.

We were in the same position at our office. After being there 6 months soeone from the electircy supplier came in and said they'd been trying to find us for years - but couldnt work out what office the meter was for or somethign like that.

We had to show our lease to prove we were only liable to the past 6 months. Apparently the previous tenants got away without paying for years. Now they're in a different building they'll probably never have to pay for it.

 

[flamazine]

We have now found out who we are with. Spoke to a very nice chap from British Gas who informed me that the meter shouldn't be energised and is down on their system as not being energised since 2002!
Some one coming out on the 22nd of this month to look at the meter .
Thanks to everybody who gave advice. Merry Christmas and a happy new year.