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!

Candles don’t double as heating either. In terms of heat output, gas is still better value than candles.

Where were you living before you moved into the property in May? Why might LA officers believe you are still living there?

If you’re having to prove you live in a home and you provide electricity bills to show you are using electricity then yes, they would be privy to the bills you’ve given them.

If you had another property you owned and had lived there during the renovation then your property being renovated would be classed as a second home.

I read on here ages ago about people who are so worried about unaffordable bills, they turn their electricity and gas off at the mains during summer - to be able to make ends meet - and just make do without artificial lights, TV, fridges etc.

Of course, a lot of them don't realise that they will still be whacked for hefty standing charges - for having fuel readily available, except they cannot afford to use it.

It sounds like these people could then find themselves financially punished for being very poor, if they're then charged double council tax for supposedly not living where they do.

There are three kinds of people who don't use very much fuel in their property: those who don't actually live there at all/very much; those who live very minimally; and those for whom it's academic how much fuel they would like to use, as they simply can't afford it in the first place.

Yep, I have just looked back at May, and we (family of 3, one of whom WFH) used £55 electricity in May, £33 gas. £88 total. We run a dishwasher, heated airer, tumble dryer etc. With Eon.

I’m not sure how anyone gets through £300 on electricity to be honest - ten baths a day? Floodlit tennis courts on 24/7? Running a cannabis farm?

@Wizardry24 Could someone have made an allegation against you?

Reasons for the Doubt:
The council might have received information suggesting you don't live there primarily, or they may have visited the property and found it to be unoccupied or used for other purposes.

You still need to send the complaint email or tracked letter to the council.

There are procedures for complaints

Phone or online chat provides no record of your conversations.

beetr00 , Thanks. I asked if I had been red flagged /blacklisted to which they replied 'no'.