Kirklees Council belittling my minimalist lifestyle

[Wizardry24]

AIBU to think Kirklees Council is being completely unreasonable over Council Tax?
Moved into my property in May, but Kirklees Council started charging me double Council Tax from April, claiming the house is empty—because I haven't used enough electricity.
I've submitted:

• Bank statements
• NHS letter
• Electoral register confirmation
• Yorkshire Water bill
• Payslip
• Mobile data upgrade (1GB → 50GB)

Still, they say:

• “You don’t even have a TV licence at your new property.”
• “You’ve only used £60.77 in electricity.”

Is that not completely invasive? It genuinely feels like my lifestyle is being picked apart and dismissed for being low-impact. I do live there—and I’m paying Council Tax. Yes, I know the council’s struggling financially (they’ve got a massive budget hole and millions in unpaid Council Tax), but this just feels unfair. Targeting people who do pay seems like the wrong way to balance the books. Has anyone dealt with something like this? What documents finally worked to prove your property was occupied? Thanks for reading—and sorry for the long post!

Years ago we bought a new house and didn’t move in for a year whilst we had work done on it. I’m sure it’s common.

Are you on a water meter? Would that help demonstrate you are living there.

How long a period was the £60?
If it was for a month that's a pretty normal amount surely. If for 2 months then it is pretty low but still using £20 per month above the standing charge.

The 'no TV licence' is ridiculous. Loads of people don't watch live TV anymore - there are a thousand lifetimes-worth of TV on YouTube alone. They might as well hail it as a red flag if people don't have a landline phone. Their basic guidelines sound like they're about 20 years out of date.

Potentially, yes; but there's often a lot of fear that comes along with being very poor - and people in poverty don't always have the privilege of making the 'wisest' choices.

If you know that you can hand over a small amount at Poundland and leave with however many candles in your bag, they're all completely paid for and will last you as long as you can eke them out until the last one is burned out.

Everybody knows how expensive electricity continues to be - tariffs rising, standing charges; even with a smart meter, you can't know that your bill will be an exact amount and no more; and even with pre-payment meters, you can't visualise exactly how long your money will last.

The whole world seems to be set up based around the poorest people having to pay the highest prices; whilst the richest can plan for/negotiate themselves the cheapest prices - and that's if they can't use their power, fame or influence to be given stuff for free.

My last 2 monthly electricity bills were £23 & £24 . We do have solar panels but the council wouldn't know that and they're not visible from the road. I hope they don't think we're not occupying our 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom house based on our utility bills!

Why do you avoid cooking?

There are some bits of your story that raise flags. Where were you living before?

Presumably you will be using heating /cooking over the winter and that should resolve the question?

Is it furnished with all your belongings/ clothes etc?

Some people don’t like cooking @AcademicallyAverageTeddy
just as they don’t watch tv

Fucking hell 🤣 did you get out of the wrong side of bed?

£66.77 in electricity? I only paid £35 last month and gas was £22. It’s summer. I do have a tv licence.

how often do you sleep elsewhere? Eg caring for your mum?

I would put in a formal complaint letter or email to the council

I moved into X address on X date
You could include your dated solicitor purchase email

I have already provided 1, 2, 3, 4 utility bills, see attached

I do not fall into the category to pay double council tax

I am a single person & therefore request a single person discount council tax bill, back dated to X date.

I would suggest requesting compensation from the council for the stress & sleepless nights that they are causing you.

I await your reply

---‐--

BTW I know someone who moved out of a property for over a year.
Post forwarding service sent electric bill for old property.
They had to prove that they had moved out with dates, various bills of the new property.
Ridiculous situation
Took a few months to resolve
Even though the final bill had been paid
Very frustrating !
Received £50 compensation from electricity company
Took several phone calls, emails, copies of bills

I used to live in a small property alone
£25 month electricity, no gas, wood fire
£10 or less water
No TV or license
Was on electoral role

I had this with Bradford council and they just asked me to provide photos of it being furnished? Have they told you what they expect you to provide as proof?

Thank you all.

It's quite clear that the reason for refusal is based on an expectation that I should artificially inflate my energy usage in order to avoid the premium charge and prove residency. As stated in their latest response: "I do not believe at present that this is your sole & main residence, however once you receive your next utility bill later this month – if it is showing more significant usage then please forward this to myself & I will relook at my decision."
No other evidence has been requested — the focus seems to be solely on energy usage. I'm effectively being asked to waste energy just to satisfy a bureaucratic assumption, which feels both unreasonable and environmentally unsound.

It's bizarre as it doesn't prove you are using it. You could be holiday letting the property and someone else is!!

Plus asking on the hotest spring for a very very long time is ridiculous!

I mentioned it to my son and he says he is even showering at the gym currently so doesn't even have that usage either! If he is asked he's going to send them the bill and an invite for afternoon tea and they can call and see all his crap littering the place!

Yes, the council does that in Fife - double tax for empty properties.

OP you can prove you spend time at property regularly using the location tracker on your smartphone. Make sure it's switched on an send them that.

@Wizardry24 if councils can see our electric bills then I am amazed that they havent phoned the police about mine!! our bill is the equivalent of a cannabis farm being grown in out attic!! £775 for 2 months!!

You haven't answered peoples questions.
Have you phoned them and spoken to them? You would probably get more sense that way.

Benefitbettyquestion. oh sorry. Thanks for your message. Yes, I’ve spoken to them several times—both over the phone and via online chat—through the general enquiries line for Council Tax. They advised that a utility bill would be acceptable in principle. However, they also acknowledged that usage typically drops in the spring and summer due to warmer weather, so it wouldn’t necessarily help demonstrate increased usage in my case.
That said, they did advise me on which other documents I should provide, since there doesn’t appear to be an official list of accepted documents available. I followed their guidance and submitted everything they recommended.
One staff member calculated a significantly lower bill, while another suggested I continue paying the same amount until September. I’ve also tried to reach the Revenues Officer dealing with my case directly, but haven’t had any luck getting through yet.
All this I have relayed to the Revenues Officer.

Is there anything in the paperwork about how to appeal the decision? In England and Wales it’s the council tax valuation tribunal you would need to go to but I don’t know if it’s the same for Scotland. I’ve googled and there clearly is an appeal method - maybe it’s time to give up on the council and go over their heads?

Bjorkdidit . done. Thanks.

But that doesn't double as heating so, candles it is.