Unregistered landlords meter swapped by builder

[cmc123]

Hello, we moved in to a new build flat a couple of years ago and after a year or so we realised that the landlords electric meter had run up quite a high number and that we had not been paying for the electric at all. Most of the usage would have been racked up before the first person moved in.

The neighbour got on to the builder (who is still freeholder) about this, and we didn't hear anything for a while, but now it turns out builder has taken the landlords meter out, put a new one in, and has connected it to the neighbours electricity so that the usage from the communal areas, along with neighbours flat usage, is charged all on the neighbours single electricity bill. Neighbour has worked out what is owed just from communal area and we all have chipped in to cover. The builder has said he will put it back and register the new meter once it has a certain amount of usage on it.

But what is the point of doing this? Surely you cant just put a new meter that has 0 on it and chuck the old one to avoid paying a hefty bill which the builder must racked up during the development? And what will connecting it so that the usage is charged on the neighbours bill achieve? As apparently the new landlords meter is still only recording usage in the communal area anyway, it could have just been connected as normal then registered?

 

[soms]

Hello, we moved in to a new build flat a couple of years ago and after a year or so we realised that the landlords electric meter had run up quite a high number and that we had not been paying for the electric at all. Most of the usage would have been racked up before the first person moved in.

The neighbour got on to the builder (who is still freeholder) about this, and we didn't hear anything for a while, but now it turns out builder has taken the landlords meter out, put a new one in, and has connected it to the neighbours electricity so that the usage from the communal areas, along with neighbours flat usage, is charged all on the neighbours single electricity bill. Neighbour has worked out what is owed just from communal area and we all have chipped in to cover. The builder has said he will put it back and register the new meter once it has a certain amount of usage on it.

But what is the point of doing this? Surely you cant just put a new meter that has 0 on it and chuck the old one to avoid paying a hefty bill which the builder must racked up during the development? And what will connecting it so that the usage is charged on the neighbours bill achieve? As apparently the new landlords meter is still only recording usage in the communal area anyway, it could have just been connected as normal then registered?

Sounds like a right muddle, and a potential heacache for your neighbour if they are paying for your communal areas and having to recharge it with no formal agreement in place.

The ins and outs of this really come down to who owns and operates the electrical supply and metering equipment.

In a typical house (not necessarily a flat) the supply comes directly from the distribution network, the meter is the property and responsibility of the electricity supplier and everything else after that is the consumers installation.

The conumer and their representatives are not allowed to touch the meter, it belongs to the supplier and they administer it.
Under no circumstances would they want anyone to swap it for another meter or alter the way in which is it connected.

Things can be more complicated with flats and will depend on how the building is supplied. The distributor may have provided a supply directly to each flat, or (more likely in this case) to a single plant room or meter room where arrangements are made for each flat. However, if you each get a bill from a supplier of your choice, the metering arrangement and ownership will be much like that described above.

You can buy electricity meters, and there is no issue in connecting extra ones to stuff on your consumer installation if you want to sub-meter something. These meters are not registered with anyone as they don't have to be.

If the builder has removed the electricity suppliers meter, they could be in some bother. The supplier could consider it fraudulent to remove or bypass their equipment. If the landlords supply hasn't been terminated, ultimately someone will still be charged for it.

 

[slartybartfast]

Hello, we moved in to a new build flat a couple of years ago and after a year or so we realised that the landlords electric meter had run up quite a high number and that we had not been paying for the electric at all. Most of the usage would have been racked up before the first person moved in.

The neighbour got on to the builder (who is still freeholder) about this, and we didn't hear anything for a while, but now it turns out builder has taken the landlords meter out, put a new one in, and has connected it to the neighbours electricity so that the usage from the communal areas, along with neighbours flat usage, is charged all on the neighbours single electricity bill. Neighbour has worked out what is owed just from communal area and we all have chipped in to cover. The builder has said he will put it back and register the new meter once it has a certain amount of usage on it.

But what is the point of doing this? Surely you cant just put a new meter that has 0 on it and chuck the old one to avoid paying a hefty bill which the builder must racked up during the development? And what will connecting it so that the usage is charged on the neighbours bill achieve? As apparently the new landlords meter is still only recording usage in the communal area anyway, it could have just been connected as normal then registered?

Sounds like fraud & energy theft - one for the DNO and the Police - let them sort it out.

 

[Henrimonami]

Unless your buiilder is playing legally with sub-meters, this sounds like fraud & energy theft. Regardless, contact your local DNO and the police - let them sort it out.

Unless your buiilder is playing legally with sub-meters, this sounds like fraud & energy theft. Regardless, contact your local DNO and the police - let them sort it out.

Absolutely Mikey. I spent full day doing free estimate writing reports to fwd to DNO and Utility etc bascots never had courtesy to reply to me. It was a share supply blah blah at point of entry. Sorted them out with few calls and written reports about tampering and costing me a day's work. I don't mind not getting job; Ignorance I hate

 

[cmc123]

Thanks for all the advice on this.

I have spoken to UK Power Networks (anonymously) about it as I was concerned that if the builder did a runner we would have to foot the bill, and they said that this kind of thing they have heard of before, and that only the installer will be responsible. They advised that our concern should be a safety issue.

Since then builder has now said that the previous meter was on their construction account and is paid, and the new meter is being commissioned to be stand alone and he can commission it as he is still the freeholder, yet it is still hooked up to neighbours account.

I have asked what the point of hooking it up to the neighbours meter was in the first place and he wont reply and neighbour doesn't seem to ever want to push him on anything, so I suppose next step to ask for proof of payment.