Landlord won't clear arrears on gas and electricity

petethebrick

I moved into a rental property 1 month ago.
The agency gave me the gas and electricity readings in order to transfer the accounts into my name. I double checked that the readings were accurate.

I called Bord Gais and they informed me that they could not change the account into my name as there were substantial arrears on the account for my address. In addition their records indicated that the gas in the property had been locked one year ago. The gas in the property is working. I said I would speak with the landlord.

The agency were no help basically with the attitude that it's not their problem.
After me chasing both the agency and landlord up about this the landlord contacted me to tell me that they would sort it out. He told me this by email. I sent in my tenancy agreement etc to Bord Gais as requested and waited for them to call me. After not hearing from them I called to see if the change of account had been processed. Bord Gais informed me that the arrears on the account had still not been cleared. This is three weeks after the landlord stated in writing that he would resolve the issue.

The situation with the electricity is exactly the same. Electric Ireland have it listed in their records that the electricity was disconnected one year ago.
It is working at the moment.

The agency and the landlord seem to have no intention of resolving the situation. What should I do? Given that Bord Gais think that the supply is cut off no bills will arrive. The same for the electricity. I do have the meter readings as proof of my usage since I moved in. I want to get it sorted but am at the end of my tether with ringing and chasing at this stage and am thinking of simply doing nothing more and putting aside the amount of money equivalent to my usage each month in case the suppliers come looking at some point. What else can I do? any advice please?

someuser905

the owner has to pay it
keep badgering him about it - you only contacted him once in 3 weeks?
offer to clear the amounts out of next months rent

Marcusm

Either he has unlawfully reconnected the supplies or there is some discrepancy vis a vis the meters.

petethebrick

someuser905 wrote: »

the owner has to pay it
keep badgering him about it - you only contacted him once in 3 weeks?
offer to clear the amounts out of next months rent

I contacted both him and the agency more times than I can count in the three weeks. The arrears are substantial, more than the rent €1300 for the gas :eek: It is in the landlords name
In addition there will be a fee for re-connection of both gas and electric once arrears are cleared as even though they are working they are listed as having been shut off
The landlord said in writing he would take care of any re-connection fee.......but zero movement so far

petethebrick

Marcusm wrote: »

Either he has unlawfully reconnected the supplies or there is some discrepancy vis a vis the meters.

This is what I think must have happened. Although the Electric Ireland rep seemed to think it could have been the case that someone called out to disconnect the supply but couldn't gain access.

im invisible

free gas and electric, how bad?

golden lane

put that money in to a seperate bank account...........keep records of your contacts with the gas and electricity company......make sure you have offered to pay them.......

get evidence of the readings....ie newspaper dated in photo of readings....

then lie back..you may have an unexpeded holiday some time...........courtesy of the gas and electric company........

ProudDUB

petethebrick wrote: »

The agency were no help basically with the attitude that it's not their problem.

This most definitely is their problem imo. If you are letting via an agency, part of their job is making sure that everything is above board with the utilities, so that each new tenant does not have to face issues like this.

Get back on to them. Get on to the supervisor of whoever you spoke to. Get on to their corporate head office. Get onto what ever professional bodies that they are a member off and make a complaint about their hands off approach.

Tell them that you are going to file a claim with the PRTB, as what is going to happen if you come home some day & both the gas and electricity has been shut off? Now that the property is back on their radar, Bord Gais & the ESB may redouble their efforts to shut the supply off. What are you supposed to do then?

If the former tenant is responsible for the arrears, that is between them and ESB/Bord Gais. But the letting agent should at the very least be assisting you by contacting the 2 companies, and verifying that you are a new blame free tenant in the house. If the landlord is responsible for the arrears, then they should be taking that up with him, and possibly taking the arrears out of any rent that they are forwarding on to him from you.

the_syco

ProudDUB wrote: »

Get back on to them. Get on to the supervisor of whoever you spoke to. Get on to their corporate head office. Get onto what ever professional bodies that they are a member off and make a complaint about their hands off approach.

Agreed. Also, ask them what are they going to do about the ongoing fraud? Inform them that you have informed Bord Gais that the gas & electricity are still on, even though they think the g&e are off...

See what happens when you light this fire underneath them.

Personally, check if you can leave. If this is how they handle debt, I wonder how much fun they'll be getting your deposit back off them?