New House - Airtricity looking for disconnection fee

Apologies if this is the wrong forum (mods please feel free to move).

So the wife and I bought a house a couple of weeks back. On the doorstep when we first moved in was a letter from Airtricity looking for a €300 deposit for a new account. Having heard nothing but bad stories about them, I contacted ESB and asked to switch to them instead. ESB said no problem, just give us a meter reading. Got that sorted out anyway. ESB said there would be a €70 connection fee, which seems fair enough and we paid that.

Yesterday received a bill from Airtricity, charging us for some electricity used. That's fair, we were using electricity with the fridge and kettles and things. I'm happy to pay that. What I'm not happy about is another item on the bill - a €70 disconnect fee.

It was the previous owner that had the account with them. I have no contract (prior, current or future) with them at all.

(Why) should I pay a a €70 disconnect fee for a provider I have nothing to do with?

preytec

Don't pay anything, talk with ESB and if needs be, get ESB to pay for the power you used when you more in. Don't pay airtricty direct, use the ESB as a buffer.

ted1

You should have taken a meter reading when you got the keys. you give this to ESB and hence owe Airtricity nothing. All consumption will be on your Electric Ireland bill.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Do not pay anything to Airtricity - was the bill in your name?

Don't talk to Electric Ireland about them paying Airtricity, as that is nonsense.

You are signed up as a registered customer with Electric Ireland from a set meter reading. Anything before that is a matter for Airtricity and their previous customer. Ignore anything from Airtricity or return any correspondence not addressed to you by name as "no longer at this address".

Zain Clever Sandbag

Zain Clever Sandbag wrote: »

Do not pay anything to Airtricity - was the bill in your name?

"Householder Name" or some rubbish like that. (Don't have the bill to hand.)

ted1 wrote: »

You should have taken a meter reading when you got the keys. you give this to ESB and hence owe Airtricity nothing. All consumption will be on your Electric Ireland bill.

Zain Clever Sandbag wrote: »

You are signed up as a registered customer with Electric Ireland from a set meter reading. Anything before that is a matter for Airtricity and their previous customer. Ignore anything from Airtricity or return any correspondence not addressed to you by name as "no longer at this address".

There was about a two week delay in getting the reading - ESB needed to send out a meter box key to us. So there was some slight overlap in usage. Like I said, I'm happy to pay that usage - it's only a tenner.

zagmund

It's well established at this stage that you don't owe utility amounts for the period before you bought (or even rented) a house, so you are on firm ground.

It's a little odd that your solicitor didn't at least advise you to take readings when you got the keys - this is pretty standard stuff these days. What you do (or any new house owner does) is take the readings, call up <your provider of choice> and say you want to open an account with them. They take it from there. You give them the date you moved in and the readings and they sign you up.

It's up to the previous supplier to work out with the previous customer who owes what to who.

Obviously, this has potential for a little bit of messing around on the customer side where a household changes the name on the account to get out of paying an old debt but I'm sure the utilities are used to that sort of ruse. In a situation where you have bought a house on a given day (and it's on the record of course, with stamp duty) you won't have any problem.

z

[edit] - if the previous owner had not paid bills for a long time, it's possible the supply would have been cut off and a reconnection fee would be due. If this is the case then the reconnection fee would be due no matter which supplier you went with. The connection status should be apparent when you ring another supplier - they won't be shy of telling you that there's a fee due.

iwillhtfu

They tried this ****e with me before.

You have no contract with airtricity. politely ask for a copy of your contract with them.

They were negligent in not disconnecting the supply that's their issue not yours. You'll get the usual threatening letters ignore them and send them a mail asking them for a copy of a signed contract and a list of outstanding payments.

zagmund

iwillhtfu wrote: »

They tried this ****e with me before.

You have no contract with airtricity. politely ask for a copy of your contract with them.

They were negligent in not disconnecting the supply that's their issue not yours. You'll get the usual threatening letters ignore them and send them a mail asking them for a copy of a signed contract and a list of outstanding payments.

Suppliers don't normally disconnect between customers. This involves sending someone out to the site and manually shutting things down. It's not worth the effort, and it's not required.

They disconnect supply where there's a long history of not paying or suspicion of fraud, not when one customer takes over supply from another.

If you are selling a house and you expect it to be empty for months you can request that it be disconnected to save you paying the standing charge, but I think most people don't go down that route. You normally need electricity whether the house is occupied or not - if only so you can turn the lights on when you are there to check on a problem at 11 o'clock at night.

As far as I remember, you will pay for the disconnect, and the new owner will pay for the reconnect so most people just leave it connected and go for the easy life.

z

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Look, forget about it. This happens all the time and they will chance their arm with it. You are nothing to them and they nothing to you. Do not offer to pay them anything - a stick to beat yourself with. Items in the post addressed to "householder" are junk mail. Toss it back at them marked "unsolicited mail".

Relax and let it go.

Cheers all. I'll leave it as is.

When I'm standing in a courtroom, I'll ask a judge to open this thread

Plek Trum

iwillhtfu wrote: »

They tried this ****e with me before.

You have no contract with airtricity. politely ask for a copy of your contract with them.

They were negligent in not disconnecting the supply that's their issue not yours. You'll get the usual threatening letters ignore them and send them a mail asking them for a copy of a signed contract and a list of outstanding payments.

I had EXACTLY the same issue when we moved into our new home. Send all the letters back to them 'return to sender'. They will be persistant, its a battle of wills. You dont owe them anything for a disconnection fee. I ended up having to send numerous (More than 8) emails, stating everything very clearly, in the finish loosing my rag and threatening them with the Regulator.

They are unbelievable for mis-fed information and persistant letters. Dont give in and stand your ground.

Iseedeadpixels

zagmund wrote: »

Suppliers don't normally disconnect between customers. This involves sending someone out to the site and manually shutting things down. It's not worth the effort, and it's not required.

They disconnect supply where there's a long history of not paying or suspicion of fraud, not when one customer takes over supply from another.

If you are selling a house and you expect it to be empty for months you can request that it be disconnected to save you paying the standing charge, but I think most people don't go down that route. You normally need electricity whether the house is occupied or not - if only so you can turn the lights on when you are there to check on a problem at 11 o'clock at night.

As far as I remember, you will pay for the disconnect, and the new owner will pay for the reconnect so most people just leave it connected and go for the easy life.

z

Its the networks not suppliers that disconnect and they will disconnect if the supplier has no name on a account i.e previous account holder closed their account and no new occupier has signed up within 2 weeks ESB networks will look to disconnect a week or 2 after.

O.P Airtricity are sending out automated letters to "new occupier" they have no idea who was there in that time so pass it onto the previous owner as they where liable for it during that time. You don't need to worry about it as long as its not in your name.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Iseedeadpixels wrote: »

Its the networks not suppliers that disconnect and they will disconnect if the supplier has no name on a account i.e previous account holder closed their account and no new occupier has signed up within 2 weeks ESB networks will look to disconnect a week or 2 after.

O.P Airtricity are sending out automated letters to "new occupier" they have no idea who was there in that time so pass it onto the previous owner as they where liable for it during that time. You don't need to worry about it as long as its not in your name.

Just for clarity. ESB Networks staff do the physical disconnection but only on instruction from the supply companies: they do not do so off their own bat. Anyway, that is irrelevant to the issue at hand.

Iseedeadpixels

Zain Clever Sandbag wrote: »

Just for clarity. ESB Networks staff do the physical disconnection but only on instruction from the supply companies: they do not do so off their own bat. Anyway, that is irrelevant to the issue at hand.

The supply company must log the market message as ESB would have no idea if a premise is vacant or not, ESB own the grids and the less supply to a empty premise the better. Airticity, Elec Ireland, BG, Energia etc have no choice but to log this.

If its irrelevant to the issue at hand why raise it?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Iseedeadpixels wrote: »

The supply company must log the market message as ESB would have no idea if a premise is vacant or not, ESB own the grids and the less supply to a empty premise the better. Airticity, Elec Ireland, BG, Energia etc have no choice but to log this.

If its irrelevant to the issue at hand why raise it?

We seem to be at crossed purposes here. That is what I said. You implied that ESB Networks took the initiative but in fact they cannot act without a market message from the supplier. They couldn't care less if a premises is vacant or not as they charge the supplier to whom the premises is registered regardless.

I'm also saying that the point of who disconnects the supply (which you raised) has no bearing on the OPs position.

Iseedeadpixels

Zain Clever Sandbag wrote: »

We seem to be at crossed purposes here. That is what I said. You implied that ESB Networks took the initiative but in fact they cannot act without a market message from the supplier. They couldn't care less if a premises is vacant or not as they charge the supplier to whom the premises is registered regardless.

I'm also saying that the point of who disconnects the supply (which you raised) has no bearing on the OPs position.

The reason I raised it is I didnt want the OP having incorrect info and possibly ringing them and raging about getting disconnected, I work in the industry its a horrible misinformed industry, OP as you have signed up to Elec Ireland they have sent Airtricity a market message and in turn they will close the account, so there is no risk of disconnection now, Airtricity's credit control team wont have your num or details so dont worry, sending a letter back marked not at address etc wont work as its under "new occupier" best bet is to contact your solicitor or estate agent who arranged the sale of the house and get the previous owner to cough up

Good Luck.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

There is no requirement to have your solicitor, at a cost to you, to take any action regarding any monies owed to Airtricity as you are not contracted to them in any way.

I speak from 38 years experience.

Iseedeadpixels

Zain Clever Sandbag wrote: »

There is no requirement to have your solicitor, at a cost to you, to take any action regarding any monies owed to Airtricity as you are not contracted to them in any way.

I speak from 38 years experience.

I didnt say that,I said to ask his solictor who has already been paid from this house sale to get in contact with the other party to make them aware of it.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Iseedeadpixels wrote: »

I didnt say that,I said to ask his solictor who has already been paid from this house sale to get in contact with the other party to make them aware of it.

Why?

Iseedeadpixels

Zain Clever Sandbag wrote: »

Why?

Because OP doesnt want the letters and reminders, best nip it in the bud now to put his mind at ease.

zagmund

I disagree - no need for solicitor, thisis over kill.

If I send an invoice to the OPs house, does he need to get his solicitor involved or does he just need to know that he never contracted with Zag Enterprises, the invoice is a fishing attempt, and he isn't liable for anything.

You know getting the solicitor involved will cost money than just paying the amount (which he doesn't owe)?

z

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Iseedeadpixels wrote: »

Because OP doesnt want the letters and reminders, best nip it in the bud now to put his mind at ease.

His mind is already at ease as he knows he owns nothing and can ignore any such junk mail. He'll get much more rubbish addressed to the occupant or the householder in the years to come. All are junk and bin fodder. Suggesting a solicitor is just a sledgehammer to crack a peanut.

Iseedeadpixels

I disagree as I used to deal with Solicitors on a daily basis for a utility supplier but let the OP decide whats best.