Do we have to instal another meter

[Camelia]

I live in a flat in a building which is divided into 4 flats. I own 25% of the freehold the other 3 flats are rented out by other owners. The communal electricity comes off a prepayment meter belonging to another flat and has been like this for 8 years or so. Their supplier is refusing to mend their meter and the owner is wanting us all to pay £4,500 minimum to have a separate meter fitted and all of our meters moved. Do we have to do this? If it was an ordinary meter would this be the case? The CAB said it was a commercial decision but couldn’t help me with the regulations. Could any of you advise please? Thanks for any help

 

[radiohead]

I do not believe there are any regulations stipulating how properties are metered. If (as it sounds) your buildings flats come from a supply that is owned by another property then they have every right to either disconnect your supply or insist it is separated from their supply. It is very surprising that freehold properties do not each have dedicated supplies.

 

[plugsandsparks]

Number of question as it does not quite make sense.
1. Is it really a pre-payment meter? - This is not a good choice for 4 flats
2. Why wont the energy supplier "mend" the meter - could this be due to the meter being overloaded or they dont like the idea of 4 flats running off one meter ?
3. Does each flat have a fuse box?
4. Where is the existing meter? Within the ground floor flat ?

Ultimately it would be better, of course for each of you to have your own meter and your own energy contract, however this could involve major wiring changes to the building and finding somewhere suitable to put all 4 meters,
Suggest you all get together and work out the most sensible solution balancing the cost of electrical works VS having your own meters in a central accessible area.

 

[Vortigern]

What you are saying is that the owners of the freehold are the flat owners. You then go on to say the "owner" wants you to pay for new meters. This is confusing. If you the leaseholders own 25% each of the freehold then you are the owners. Who is this "owner" that wants you to pay an excessive 4.5K? Unless you own a flying freehold and the landlord (the owner of the rest of the freehold) is managing the property....? It would be very helpful to see the supply to the building and the arrangement of the existing electrical metering. Can you post any pictures of this?
If you currently are enfranchised jointly with the other lessees you should have formed a management company, is that the case? As to the meter being broken it is the responsibility of the energy supplier to fix the meter at their own cost. Maybe Energy Ombudsman: Here to help with gas & electricity complaints - https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy is who you should be speaking to.

 

[davesparks]

Why do people find it so hard to read a post properly and instead seem to take a guess at what has been written?

The OP has said that the communal area supply comes from a prepayment meter in one of the flats (ie there is no landlords supply), yet people are replying as if they have said all four flats are supplied via this prepayment meter,which they haven't.

 

[snowhead]

.....
.....

Each flat has it's own meter.
At least one flat (rented out) has a prepayment meter, is this the only meter in that flat or are there 2 and the prepayment meter is only for the Landlords supply?

Do the other 3 Freeholders, including the O.P, each pay the 4th Freeholder, with the prepayment meter, 25% of the costs of the common (Landlords) supply?
Is there a formal written agreement for this?

Are all the meters in the flats or are they in a cupboard in the common area, can you get a photo if they are?

 

[Jim_e_Jib]

It sounds to me like the incomer is in one of the flats, possibly along with all four meters if there is a request for them to be moved? The meter for that flat supplies the communal areas.

OP, could you clarify? Photos as Snowhead suggests would be great!

 

[radiohead]

Why do people find it so hard to read a post properly and instead seem to take a guess at what has been written?

The OP has said that the communal area supply comes from a prepayment meter in one of the flats (ie there is no landlords supply), yet people are replying as if they have said all four flats are supplied via this prepayment meter,which they haven't.

I did not take a guess, however I accept I misread the post.

 

[Vortigern]

Photos as Vortigern suggests would be great!

Corrected that for you

 

[snowhead]

Photos as Vortigern, then later Snowhead, suggests would be great!

Corrected that for you

 

[Camelia]

What you are saying is that the owners of the freehold are the flat owners. You then go on to say the "owner" wants you to pay for new meters. This is confusing. If you the leaseholders own 25% each of the freehold then you are the owners. Who is this "owner" that wants you to pay an excessive 4.5K? Unless you own a flying freehold and the landlord (the owner of the rest of the freehold) is managing the property....? It would be very helpful to see the supply to the building and the arrangement of the existing electrical metering. Can you post any pictures of this?
If you currently are enfranchised jointly with the other lessees you should have formed a management company, is that the case? As to the meter being broken it is the responsibility of the energy supplier to fix the meter at their own cost. Maybe Energy Ombudsman: Here to help with gas & electricity complaints - https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy is who you should be speaking to.
[/QUOTE
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Why do people find it so hard to read a post properly and instead seem to take a guess at what has been written?

The OP has said that the communal area supply comes from a prepayment meter in one of the flats (ie there is no landlords supply), yet people are replying as if they have said all four flats are supplied via this prepayment meter,which they haven't.

thanks yes. I think I will ask the Ombudsman thank you!

 

[Jim_e_Jib]

Corrected that for you

To be fair, you asked for pictures

 

[Vortigern]

@Camelia you say nothing of the freehold situation which will have a significant bearing on the solutions to your problem

 

[snowhead]

The situation has been O.K for 8 years and now something related to it isn't

The first thing to establish is Exactly what the supplier has said to justify their refusal to repair and what the fault is that needs repair.
Does this flat not have any power on at the moment?

Presumably whatever it was, the flat owner has had a quote for someone to alter the meters etc.
That won't have been from the Energy supplier so who was that from?

My suspicion is that this is related to a meter fixers visit and the installation not fitting into their Idiot chart for working.
There may be an element of the Landlord with the issue taking advantage of the situation.

 

[Camelia]

The situation has been O.K for 8 years and now something related to it isn't

The first thing to establish is Exactly what the supplier has said to justify their refusal to repair and what the fault is that needs repair.
Does this flat not have any power on at the moment?

Presumably whatever it was, the flat owner has had a quote for someone to alter the meters etc.
That won't have been from the Energy supplier so who was that from?

My suspicion is that this is related to a meter fixers visit and the installation not fitting into their Idiot chart for working.
There may be an element of the Landlord with the issue taking advantage of the situation.

Thank you. The supplier is not charging for electricity at the moment which is very odd but then again they are refusing to mend it. I will take your advice about finding out their original reason for not mending it. We each own 25% of the freehold. All of the meters are in one cupboard in the hall.

 

[davesparks]

Thank you. The supplier is not charging for electricity at the moment which is very odd but then again they are refusing to mend it. I will take your advice about finding out their original reason for not mending it. We each own 25% of the freehold. All of the meters are in one cupboard in the hall.

What needs mending?

 

[Vortigern]

So no pictures and no info on lease then? Nvm, next!

 

[DPG]

So no pictures and no info on lease then? Nvm, next!

Hard work this one.

 

[Camelia]

So no pictures and no info on lease then? Nvm, next!

Hi not relevant all I really need to know is : Essentially is it no longer allowed to run communal electricity off a prepayment meter?

Can communal electricity be run off a normal billed meter?

I thought more information would help but most people misread my post . Not too complicated but not even the CAB seem to know

 

[Vortigern]

I must say the questions asked are very relevant. However if your view is that they are not I bow to your outlook on the matter. We will agree to disagree.