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Rent - Electricity Bill

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  • 29-06-2018 8:11pm
    #1
    Arturburkalo
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭


    Hello All,

    Need a little help and understanding with a previous rented house.

    The landlord today wrote to me and my girlfriend a message saying that we have to pay for an electricity bill reading which just came in. It's a cost of 680 euro from August 2016 to August 2018. And we have to contribute into it otherwise he will bring us to court.

    We haven't leaved in the house since August 2017, that's when our tenancy ended, we are in a new place now. We always payed rent on time and payed any outstanding bills before we left. The bill is on Landlords name as-well and has nothing to do with us after we left with everything paid up I believe.

    My question is on how long can the landlord hold our information, should he already forget about us at this stage? We haven't lived in the house for more than a half a year. Can he still come after us with the bill that was calculated with the reading, because we lived during it? We do have our own responsibilities of paying the new bills now in the new home, and if we get a reading in our new house we won't be chasing other tenants who lives with us and would pay it our selfs.

    What do you think we should do? Was anyone in the same situation and had any legal advice?
    Tagged:


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    #2
    Samuel T. Cogley
    Registered Users Posts: 10,684 ✭✭✭✭Samuel T. Cogley


    He's six years to come after you in simple contract IIRC and for tax purposes needs to keep the records for at least that long if not longer.


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    #3
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,266 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Did you put the electricity bill in your name ? Did you pay for electricity?


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    #4
    wonski
    Registered Users Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭wonski


    If the bills were in your name then I guess the final reading was taken at the end of the tenancy.

    If, however, your landlord insisted on you paying the bills in his name, that's his loss.

    He should have followed the correct procedure of taking the reading at the start and end of tenancy to avoid this.

    If you shared the house with him, then he definitely should have kept eye on the readings and make sure that there are no estimate bills and bill you pro rata if you moved out in the middle of the billing cycle.

    If that's the case- ignore it.


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    #5
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,278 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    Did you phone a final meter reading to the utility company when you ended the tenancy- or did you rely on the utility company's estimated reading?
    The estimated readings are notorious for being way out- and a rule of thumb is you always note the meter reading when leaving- and if the account is in your name- transfer it back to the landlord at that time.

    It sounds like you went with estimated readings for a protracted period of time- and they've now done an actual reading (albeit 2 years later) and your previous bills have been shown to be hopelessly inadequate.


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    #6
    3DataModem
    Registered Users Posts: 3,944 ✭✭✭3DataModem


    The LLs problem if he took over the bill from tenant based on estimated reading is that he would have had to accept the T&C at that time.

    Also there is no way of knowing when the high electricity spend happened... maybe there was a load of bitcoin mining going on after you left!

    I’d make him a token offer - maybe 50, remind him of the above, and let him take it to RTB.


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    #7
    Bubbaclaus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,461 ✭✭✭Bubbaclaus


    There's absolutely nothing attributing that additional amount to the period you were in the house and literally 0 ways to prove such. Landlord has messed up here by not doing a meter reading when you left. Let him go legal if he wants.


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    #8
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,082 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    They are trying to charge you for a year you didn't even live in the house?!


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    #9
    Arturburkalo
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭Arturburkalo


    Tar.Aldarion wrote: »
    They are trying to charge you for a year you didn't even live in the house?!

    They are yes, after having a look at the bill the meter reading invoice was for 1,700 Euro for two years, which the landlords miss read. And the due now it’s €600 at the moment, I'd say more bills to come with finding out new sum.

    It’s very high though considering we didn’t have the TV at home and nearly stayed at home and each month we payed for electricity.

    The bills are not on our name, I am at the moment considering to ignore because we got our own responsibilities paying for our house bills and didn’t know what happened in the last 8-10 months up there. I’ve advised them to get an electrician in to see what’s eating in their bill so much.


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    #10
    wonski
    Registered Users Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭wonski


    That's like 70 euro a month underpaid...

    Have they paid any bills at all during that time?


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    #11
    NinetyTwoTeam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 619 ✭✭✭NinetyTwoTeam


    Bubbaclaus wrote: »
    There's absolutely nothing attributing that additional amount to the period you were in the house and literally 0 ways to prove such. Landlord has messed up here by not doing a meter reading when you left. Let him go legal if he wants.

    Exactly. LL has no chance of winning a case here. The high bills easily could have happened in that extra year and he'll be laughed at if he tries to sue a tenant for a year the tenant wasnt there.

    Also, RTB don't deal with utility bills whatsoever so his only option is a small claims court. A quick chat with a solicitor and he'll realize he hasn't a hope for reasons outlined above, and he's probably bluffing anyway. The bills in his name and you weren't there for a year he's 100% liable.

    Tell him you'll see him in court OP. And just ignore him after that. Do NOT offer any token payment as was suggested, he won't accept it anyway and if it does go to court it might look like you are admitting liability for the bill - which you don't have any liability for.

    Also, don't send any texts describing any payments made on the off chance it goes to court - they can be looked at later as evidence. Leave the onus on him to prove everything, don't give him any extra stuff to show a judge just hang on to whatever records you have.


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    #12
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,295 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    Arturburkalo wrote: »
    It’s very high though considering we didn’t have the TV at home and nearly stayed at home and each month we payed for electricity.
    Who did you pay for that electricity to?


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