Tenants rights to change service provider

Schmetterling

Hi there,
we moved out of our rented apartment. While we were living there we changed the service provider from esb to airtricity and didnt ask the landlord, cause there was nothing in the contract saying we arent allowed to choose our service provider.
We cancelled our account with airtricity on 22.1. and had all bills payed, however, airtricity remained as a provider. Now our landlord is angry cause we changed the provider and wants us to pay the new tenants bill from 22.1. to 22.2. and possible next months until its all changed to esb.
The charges of airtricity are the same as esb though, or even cheaper so there was no loss on their side. We refuse to pay their bill but said we would pay whatever charges come up with changing back to esb.
Does anyone know if we have the right to pick whichever provider we want and if we have to pay this bill thats actually not ours?

markpb

Schmetterling wrote: »

We cancelled our account with airtricity on 22.1. and had all bills payed, however, airtricity remained as a provider.

I don't understand this. If you cancelled their contract, how come they kept the account open?

athtrasna

While I wouldn't have a problem with a tenant changing the phone service or tv, gas and electricity are different. These bills rest with the property and not the tenant so your landlord is affected. If you were my tenants I would be doing exactly what your landlord is doing.

the_syco

markpb wrote: »

I don't understand this. If you cancelled their contract, how come they kept the account open?

What he said ^^^ unless, that is, the tenants went with airtricity when they moved in, and in that case, it ain't your problem.

anonymousjunkie

athtrasna wrote: »

While I wouldn't have a problem with a tenant changing the phone service or tv, gas and electricity are different. These bills rest with the property and not the tenant so your landlord is affected. If you were my tenants I would be doing exactly what your landlord is doing.

I agree!

andrewh5

athtrasna wrote: »

While I wouldn't have a problem with a tenant changing the phone service or tv, gas and electricity are different. These bills rest with the property and not the tenant so your landlord is affected. If you were my tenants I would be doing exactly what your landlord is doing.

That is complete rubbish! Gas & electricity accounts are billed to an individual NOT the property. It is a tenant's right to move to the cheapest supplier if they wish to do so. These people should tell the ex landlord to feck off.

ballooba

markpb wrote: »

I don't understand this. If you cancelled their contract, how come they kept the account open?

Meter remained registered to Airtricity and there was vacant consumption for which Airticity was responsible?

beeno67

Why do landlords have this arrogant attitude. This is why it is essential that tennants never pay their last months rent. Landlords always try to screw the money out of tennants. The landlord did not put it in the contract so tough. Are we really expected to believe that the landlord will give the money for the recent bill to the new tennants. You can bet your life he will not.

antoinolachtnai

Have you got your deposit back?

Your landlord wants you to pay your successor's electricity bill. This is unreasonable.

Calina

Schmetterling wrote: »

We cancelled our account with airtricity on 22.1. and had all bills payed, however, airtricity remained as a provider. Now our landlord is angry cause we changed the provider and wants us to pay the new tenants bill from 22.1. to 22.2. and possible next months until its all changed to esb.

Two things:

1) why does he think it's up to you?

2) PRTB time methinks. You clearned the property on the date of vacancy. I don't get where the guy's problem is.

The_Conductor

Irrespective of the charges for electricity or gas- and contrary to the advice above- the electricity/gas or phone line is a physical piece of infrastructure that resides with the property, along with the actual account which is the meter on the supply of that good or service. There is normally a connection charge associated with changing supplier (BT charge EUR 121 for a phone line from Eircom/Perlico for example).

Providing you cancelled the account with the supplier you were using, and organised to switch the account back to the original providor- paying the charges incurred- and confirmed the account was back with the original providor- then there would not be an issue.

While it may not be specified in the lease- it would be highly irregular and unusual for a tenant to change the electricity/gas/phone providor without the prior consent of the owner of the property.

In the current circumstances I think it would be fair and reasonable to expect to pay any reconnection charges along with charges incurred on the old providor in the interim between the change back to the original providor (the ESB)- particularly in light of the fact that you went and changed the supplier without the knowledge of the landlord. If you go to the PRTB, or if the landlord does, I would be quite surprised if they suggested otherwise. Ongoing charges over the course of a few months would not be acceptable (it takes about 6 weeks to change back- not months......)

seamus

When you vacate a property it should be left as you found it. So if the landlord is switching back to the ESB, it's only reasonable that you pay the reconnection fee. However, I don't think there's a reconnection fee for electricity - the network is managed by ESB networks and you only pay them once to connect the property to the grid. ESB Customer Supply is a totally separate company and should not charge you to switch to their system.

When the new tenants move in and set up and account with an electricity provider, they are only liable for charges incurred after that date. They take a meter reading and that's used as their baseline.

Any difference between the meter reading that you took when you left and the reading that new tenants took when they moved in, is a debt on the property and is payable by the landlord. If the property was vacant, it was his responsibility to ensure that all electrical items were disconnected. Any charges for the time the property was vacant are his problem, not yours.

Schmetterling

Thanks for all those answers. We told him we are willing to pay reconnection to esb if that applies, but there is no way we gonna pay the new tenants bill.
I totally agree, tenants should be allowed to pick whichever provider they want and not the landlord. Why are landlords always so arrogant?
It didnt change anything for him. Landlords arent even the once paying those bills, so whats their problem?! Most of them are just control-freaks I think

The_Conductor

Schmetterling wrote: »

Landlords arent even the once paying those bills, so whats their problem?! Most of them are just control-freaks I think

Well- they do own the house.....
Put yourself in their boots- if you owned a property and were trying to keep it in as good a condition as possible- you'd probably be narked as hell to discover the electricity had been changed to another supplier (who you knew nothing about), the phone line disconnected, a water meter put in, gas disconnected- while a lot of these things are not applicable in your case- they are things that happen unbeknownst to landlords regularly. At very least if you're going to change service providors for the house, it really should be with the landlord's knowledge/acquiessence. Its impossible for a lease to cover every possible eventuality- but you can be pretty certain that changing service providor will probably feature in any new leases your old landlord issues. That said- it was taking the piss expecting you to pay months of electricity- offering to pay the reconnection charge is a fair and reasonable gesture on your part.

seamus

smccarrick wrote: »

the phone line disconnected

You did mention this before, but I think it's different. If I moved into a place that had an phone line in, the very first thing I would do is either arrange to have it disconnected or tell the landlord that I'm not paying his phone bills. A phone line is an optional service.

Critical services such as gas and electricity are part and parcel of the house and although I would support a tenant's right to choose their provider, they should never have the services disconnected and should reconnect it to the original provider upon leaving.

Ste.phen

seamus wrote: »

You did mention this before, but I think it's different. If I moved into a place that had an phone line in, the very first thing I would do is either arrange to have it disconnected or tell the landlord that I'm not paying his phone bills. A phone line is an optional service.

Critical services such as gas and electricity are part and parcel of the house and although I would support a tenant's right to choose their provider, they should never have the services disconnected and should reconnect it to the original provider upon leaving.

+1

beeno67

Surely when the new tennants arrived they had to put the electricity in their name. Did landlord not notice he was writing to airtricity and not ESB?

penexpers

smccarrick wrote: »

There is normally a connection charge associated with changing supplier (BT charge EUR 121 for a phone line from Eircom/Perlico for example).

Incorrect. BT will charge 121 euro if there is no existing phoneline there. If there is a phoneline then there is no connections charge. Eircom will also charge 121 euro if there is no existing phoneline.

Schmetterling

smccarrick wrote: »

Well- they do own the house.....
Put yourself in their boots- if you owned a property and were trying to keep it in as good a condition as possible- you'd probably be narked as hell to discover the electricity had been changed to another supplier (who you knew nothing about)

I really wouldnt mind that at all. I think everyone has the right to sign up with whatever provider they want to use, regardless of what the landlord wants. Its my money Im spending there not his and therefore my decision where I want to get my electricity from. I think landlords in Ireland in general have to much interference. In other countries like Germany you get an empty white apartement and you can paint the walls and put in whatever furniture you like and also pick whichever provider you want. The landlords just care that you pay your rent and leave the place in good condition when you leave. Thats how it should be here too!

Calina

Schmetterling wrote: »

I really wouldnt mind that at all. I think everyone has the right to sign up with whatever provider they want to use, regardless of what the landlord wants. Its my money Im spending there not his and therefore my decision where I want to get my electricity from. I think landlords in Ireland in general have to much interference. In other countries like Germany you get an empty white apartement and you can paint the walls and put in whatever furniture you like and also pick whichever provider you want. The landlords just care that you pay your rent and leave the place in good condition when you leave. Thats how it should be here too!

I agree.