Why would a new communal door require my electricity bill?

[PerkyOchrePeer]

I live in a flat , and we've just been told that we are going to have a new communal front door with an intercom. I have now been asked to submit a copy of my electricity bill before they fit the door and I have asked why?Because it's a private bill, and I'd like to know why they're asking before I submit it.Does anybody else know what this might be forI have now been asked to submit a copy of my electricity bill before they fit the door and I have asked why? Because it's a private bill, and I'd like to know why they're asking before I submit it. Does anybody else know what this might be for?

We are trying to determine which electricity meter should potentially supply the intercom system, should one need to be installed as part of the front door replacement works.

We already hold information relating to the communal areas of the property, which are charged through the service charge, as well as the electricity meter serial numbers for neighbouring flats, which we expect to be supplied in a similar manner to yours.

To help us identify the correct electricity supply, we would be grateful if you could provide the serial number (S/N) of your electricity meter. We do not require any other information from your electricity bill.

If you do not have an electricity account in your name or do not receive an electricity bill for your flat, please let us know so that we can investigate this further.

Having this information will help us ensure that we have all the necessary details required to support the consultation and front door

is this legal. This is what I just received by email

How big is your block of flats? Who is the managing agent? I think you’re doing the right thing by not handing over your information without knowing why!

They don’t seem to know if the door needs an electricity meter or not? Sounds like a bit of a waffly response! If they know which meter belongs to your neighbours then surely it’s a process of elimination?

But they've just explained why. There are 3 flats. Irs a house conversion

Well thats the end of the thread thread then.

I wonder if the other flats have supplied the information that they're asking for

Maybe they want to make sure they connect it to the correct meter by eliminating the three that belong to the three flats, leaving the one that measures the electricity that powers lighting in communal areas and any other shared uses of electricity?

Their response is a bit weird, in my view. I live in a block of flats with an intercom system and the electricity for it comes from the communal electricity supply, as does the lighting in the communal areas. It's nothing to do with electricity billing for our individual flats, though of course the installers had to run cabling from the communal supply into each flat for the intercom handsets. We did pay for the intercom installation and continue to do so for its upkeep. At the same time we each pay via the service charge for the electricity used in the communal areas.

Oh OP I have just thought - if it is a conversion are all of your electricity meters (including the one for communal supply) in one cupboard rather than inside your flats? That could be the issue - they just want the MPAN to eliminate the possibility of accidentally connecting the new system to an individual flat meter rather than the communal meter.

That sounds plausible but maybe the person communication this this does not really understand what they need to ask for and why.

IANAL, but that looks OK to me.

They've asked for precisely the data they need ✅
and they've told you the purpose.✅

Also the meter serial number is not on its own particularly sensitive – they're not in a position to marry it up with other data like whether you're in debt to the energy company!

I appreciate it's an annoyance being asked to faff around looking up the serial number when you don't care about having the intercom anyway, but at the end you and your neighbours will have the new door.

I think by providing this info you are reducing the possibility of (any!) shared facilities being wrongly connected to your personal electricity supply. So it's a good thing.

That's exactly what I'd imagine.

Ah, that would make sense, yes.

I learn this the hard way when years ago I rented a flat in a warehouse conversion and all of our electricity meters were in a communal cupboard behind the bins.

Our electricity bill suddenly increased dramatically and after lots of complaints we found a hapless meter reader had entered the wrong meter number in to his machine for us and the mistake stuck (and I learnt that one of my neighbours was either heating their flat to tropical levels or was grown cannabis)

I suppose it is a lesson in why service charges cost what they do.

By the time you have added 1/3 or whatever of the power to each individual meter and done all the admin, I bet the cost to implement it all gets ridiculous.