Electricity bill - £2000
We moved into our flat in July 2008.
Since then we havn't received any electricity bills. After 6 months (around february 2009) to avoid having to pay a massive bill, we sent an email and called our letting agent to tell them about this matter: no answer...
In the past year, we must have sent 10 emails to them and we met face to face twice regarding this matter but no arrangement was made and no solution found.
3 months ago we received an email from them stating that our electricity bills are included in our rent.
We gave our 2 months notice period a week ago (we are leaving at the end of september 2010). We received a £2000 bill for the past 2 years!! 
Obsiously we don't want to pay £2000 as we tried many times to tell them about us not receiving any electricty bills...
I fear they won't give us back our deposit back (£1200).
I still have all the emails + the email we received from them stating that elect. bills are included in the rent.
Please we need your help, what can we do?
Many thanks for your time !
Firstly you should look at
Firstly you should look at your agreement.
Does it place the obligation on you to pay the outgoings?
Is electricity mentioned?
Who has now sent you the bill? Is it the power company or the landlord.
Is the supply in your name or the that of the landlord?
When you were chasing for the bill were you in touch with the power company or the landlord?
Perhaps you let me know these points so that I can consider the case further.
Dear Riquest whether you are
Dear Riquest
whether you are liable for the bill depends on the terms of your tenancy agreement.Ultimately you may have to pay, although the email from the agents is interesting and might mean that they are no longer able to ask you for it.
The sum of £2,000 not only seems a little high but also ( on the assumption you have not rounded it up) very convenient.
I would suggect that you write to the agents enclosing a copy of the email which confirmed it was included in the rent. I would also ask for a proper copy of the bill so that you can clarify that the exact amount relates to your property. Your letter should also ask them to confirm that they will not be retaining the £1200 deposit paid against this bill and further state that, if that is their intention, you will contest it immediately. Your deposit should be with a Tenancy Deposit scheme. Demand full details of both the Tenancy Deposit scheme and its arbitration service.
If you have problems thereafter please contact us again.
Richard Paremain
re
In our agreement it states that we have to pay bills (electricity incuded).
The electricity company sent us the bill ( I rounded it up to £2000 but its an approximation).
The supply is in the name of our flat (although the bill ecompasses 2 flats - so the exact amount they want us to pay isn't clear. It will be around half the amount, so around £1000). This is being investigated right now by the letting agent, the landlord and the electricity company.
When we were chasing the bill, we got in touch with both the landlord and the letting agent.
Thanks for your help!
re
The sum of £2000 was rounded up by myself and it incompasses 2 flats.
The problem with the deposit is that our initial lettings agent went bankrupt and we were then "forwarded" to another company. We nearly lost our deposit in the bankruptcy but the landlord told us he would pay it back to us.
My question is: can they still ask for us to pay a big bill (lets say half of £2000 for our flat) even though we repeatedly warned them that we hadn't received any bills in the past? (that's one year ago).
Many thanks!
Hi Riquest, I am afraid that
Hi Riquest,
I am afraid that I think that if your agreement clearly states that you are responsible for the bills then you will have to pay the electricity bill. Is there any reason why you were chasing the letting agent for the bill and not the energy company? What happens with your gas and water bills, do you pay for these as well and if so do you pay them direct to the energy companies?
£1,000.00 over a period of two years for electricity does not sound too excessive to be honest.
Regarding your deposit your Landlord is under a legal obligation to repay the deposit to you even if their appointed agent (i.e. your first letting) goes bankrupt.
I am a Legal Advisor employed by Sarginsons Law and specialise in Civil Litigation matters. I deal with disputes between individuals and businesses including Landlord and Tenant issues, debt recovery and property disputes.
Telephone 02476 553181
Can you tell us whose name
Can you tell us whose name appears on the electricity bill?
re
Thanks for your help, we sorted that one out.
The bill wasn't mine, Southern Electric got mixed up...
Many thanks for your help !
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