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Original poster

Am I liable for previous home owners bill?

32 replies

CurlsLDN · 11/03/2021 16:18

Hi, I'm a first time home owner and would appreciate your collective wisdom!

I bought and moved into my house on the 1st September 2019.

Today I have received a letter 'to the occupier' from credit style limited, saying they are collecting a debt of £150 which is owed to robin hood energy/ebico.

When I moved in I set up an account with Bulb energy which was activated on the day, I have never heard of robin hood energy.

I called credit style and they said it is for the period 1 aug - 7 sept 2019 (seems a very steep bill for a period the house was mostly empty, aside from anything else!)
I explained that I know nothing of this and only bought the house 1st sept, and he said that regardless of me setting up with Bulb from day 1 I still owe money to the other company as it's normal for switchover to take a while and so you run two accounts for up to 28 days?? I've never experienced that before.

He said that as I didn't own the house for part of it I therefore wouldn't be liable for the whole debt so he would offer me a 30% reduction

I did some quick maths and pointed out that in that case I am not liable for 70% of the debt, if I am liable for any of it it would be far less than that.

To which he replied that if I wasn't willing to accept his offer I could make them an offer and they would decide whether to accept it.

I refused and asked him to send me in writing what this debt is for, the dates it relates to etc so I can consider it, which he said he will do.

SO is it normal to receive a bill for part or whole of a month from the old supplier when you buy a new house? Is it usual to be running up bills with both suppliers at once? Should I consider paying any of this?

I do think it's a bit dodgy as I've never received any letters from robin hood energy since I moved in, certainly no bills or requests for payment so if this is a legit situation their admin is shocking!

OP posts:
HasaDigaEebowai · 11/03/2021 16:22

Robin hood energy no longer exists as an energy provider. It is in administration. Deloitte are managing the administration.

No idea whether "credit style limit" is legit

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 11/03/2021 16:23

No you’re not liable for it.
The debt energy seem like they’re trying to pull a fast one to get some ‘easy’ payment. They can’t transfer the name of the debt from one debtor to another.
Ring up the energy company with the details and say you’ll be making a complaint through their system and then offgen (I think) if you have any further communication from the debt collectors

Hailtomyteeth · 11/03/2021 16:37

No. Apart from ground rent, I think ...

VettiyaIruken · 11/03/2021 16:41

You aren't responsible for anything before you owned the property.

QueenOfPain · 11/03/2021 16:43

Ask your estate agent to forward it on.

I hope by asking him to send details you haven’t inadvertently transferred the account into your name though.

Crazycatstory · 11/03/2021 16:44

They are pulling a fast one, as they are hoping to recoup part of the debt without doing the work to track down the debtor. You never had a service from the other electric company, you owe them nothing.

Mosaic123 · 11/03/2021 16:48

It could just be a traditional scam.

Original poster
CurlsLDN · 11/03/2021 16:49

Yes I never had a contract with the other company, so how could I owe them money? There is no contract between them and I

OP posts:
TheQueef · 11/03/2021 16:50

Did you read the meter/ take pic?

5zeds · 11/03/2021 16:51

Nah. Tell them to fuck off.

PlanDeRaccordement · 11/03/2021 16:52

You only owe from the day you buy and take possession of the house. Any utility bill from before 1 Sept you are not liable for, have the estate agent sent to former owners and refer the debt collectors to the estate agent by company and branch location.

Yellow85 · 11/03/2021 16:52

You absolutely don’t need to pay that. Did you take opening reading on the day you moved in? Typically you’d take these and submit them to whoever you opt to go with. You’ll then be charged for any units used from that point only. If you ever move out It’s best you take ‘closing readings’ too for your records.

Notaroadrunner · 11/03/2021 16:55

Do you have the first bill from your own supplier? If so what date did they start charging from? Id these chancers that you never heard of them, never had a contract with them and that your own supplier started (hopefully) from the date you took ownership of the house.

Original poster
CurlsLDN · 11/03/2021 16:59

Ooh good point yes I did take opening meter readings and still have them filed away

OP posts:
2bazookas · 11/03/2021 17:01

Its a scam. Don't pay,give the scammer no account details or card details.

it to local police and to trading standards, give them print copies of any emails /letters.

Longdistance · 11/03/2021 17:02

No. The debt belongs to the previous owner.

Jessbow · 11/03/2021 17:02

Pulling a fast one. You are only responsible from the day you move in

BrilliantBetty · 11/03/2021 17:05

NO. Do not pay

Bibidy · 11/03/2021 17:14

Definitely not! When I moved into my flat I had a letter with a huge bill from British Gas as the former tenant hadn't let them know they were moving out.

I called them and sorted it out straight away, they just wrote it off.

FiveNightsAtMummys · 11/03/2021 17:15

To the occupier. You weren't the occupier at the time! Maybe the 7 days but that's definitely not 70% of the bill! Is there an energy ombudsman you can contact? It doesn't seem right.

muddyford · 11/03/2021 17:16

As PPs have said, you are only liable for the energy used since you bought the house. And yes, it is normal, if the supplier is changed by the new owner, for the swap to take a while. When I moved here and changed from EDF to my choice, I think I had a bill after a few days or a week for a minimal amount. No contact from EDF since and that was four years ago.

TheQueef · 11/03/2021 17:20

You must have given your start readings to Bulb so have paid for energy you've used.
I take phone pics to email to myself now so I can find em.

JanewaysBun · 11/03/2021 17:22

Agreed with the above. Only ground rent would be liable

orangenasturtium · 11/03/2021 17:23

You have a deemed contract with an energy supplier when you move into a property and start using energy, whichever company that is. It is possible that there can be a crossover if you don't switch in time for the new company to take over the account on the day you move in but normally when that happens you are asked for a meter reading by the new company on the day the new contract starts and the transfer has been completed. You need to call Bulb and confirm the date that they took over the contract and the opening reading. You would only owe the previous company for any standing charge (if there was one) for the days you owned the property before the switchover and any electricity you used on those days. If Bulb say your contract started on 1 September then you owe nothing.

Trinpy · 11/03/2021 17:24

We had something like this when we moved into our house. I can't remember the details because DH dealt with it all at the time but it was similar to what you've had but with different companies involved. We contacted previous owners who said they'd settled all bills when they moved out. DH then spoke to our energy supplier about it who said the other company were trying it on with us and it was fairly common but we weren't liable to pay anything. We ignored it and never heard from them again!