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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Who's fault?!

3 replies

ElectricHelp · 17/03/2022 09:01

Okay so I think it's probably a bit of both but stressing out about a situation!

I'm self employed and rent small business premises to work from and I've just found out I haven't been paying electric for two years!

Basically, before the two years I used to be sent invoices by the landlords agent which included electricity. It was named on the invoice and it was paid by the landlord and then invoiced to me. I always paid this along with rent and service charges.

Two years ago they sold and another landlord took over. I was receiving invoices for rent and service charges as normal from the agent and (stupidly) assumed it included the electricity as it always had. They'd put the rent up quite significantly so I just didn't really notice the difference in the amounts.

Anyway, looking to now move and I'm looking at all the paperwork and it doesn't seem that I've been invoiced for electric by the agent at all since the new landlord took over! However it's in the lease that it's my responsibility to pay for (obviously).

A few other tenants in the block are the same and we are all panicking.

Who's at fault here?! The electric was never in my name it was always in the landlords and then their agents just invoiced me. I've never been asked to do anything different to that and I assume when the landlord sold he would have given the providers details to the new landlord as the account was his not mine if that makes sense?

I should have checked though I know!

OP posts:
PragmaticWench · 17/03/2022 09:06

The account must have been paid by someone in the last two years or the electricity company would have been banging on the door.

If the account with the electricity provider isn't in your name, you're not legally beholden to them I don't think? If the new landlord hasn't invoiced you then you'd need legal advice about how far back they can claim. It may be that they've included it in the invoice total but not itemised it on the invoice sheet itself?

ElectricHelp · 17/03/2022 09:21

Yes you'd have thought so. I don't even know who the provider is! Thinking back they used to send someone to take metre readings too and they haven't in ages, probably since the new landlord took over.

I did wonder if it just hadn't been itemised on the invoice but when I added the figures up for everything on there it does seem to just be for the rent and the service charge. I've just paid what I've been invoiced and not really thought anything more about it.

OP posts:
AdobeWanKenobi · 17/03/2022 10:08

If it were me I'd put aside the rough amount the bill was monthly, just in case and carry on as you are keeping your mouth shut.

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