I work for a housing association. One of our properties the tenant unknown to us tampered with the electric. Again, unknown to us, Northern PowerGrid disconnected the electric for safety reasons. The property was vacated and we are trying to make the property suitable to let again. British Gas was the supplier at the time of disconnection and still is the current supplier. I am trying to arrange the reconnection of the electric. As British Gas are the registered supplier I see this as their job to organise. They disagree. They say we should talk to Northern PowerGrid as they do the actual work. Spoke to Northern PowerGrid. I have to apply for a quote and pay over the odds, prices average at about £1500! The supply was removed without our knowledge, it was removed through no fault of our own. British Gas were the supplier at the time, damage was done to their supply by the tenant, British Gas should if they want costs recuperated should chase the outgoing tenant just like they would for outstanding debt surely? Northern PowerGrid removed the supply to protect their equipment, the threat of damage is now gone, surely they should reinstate? I am confounded by this problem where I have to pay for someone elses damage, how can British Gas wash there hands of it? They are the official supplier, there is no supply going to the property, they should deal with that. Northern PowerGrid can remove supplies as and when they see fit and charge people who had NO PART in the removal of the supply for the resumption of a supply?
Reconnection of Electricity
- Thread starter IHateBritishGas
- Start date
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the way i see it
the installation after the meter is yours before the meter is grids
you failed to maintain a safe instillation so you have been cut off
the onus is on you to recover the money from the tenant
off course its not your fault but thats the way it works i am afraid
the installation after the meter is yours before the meter is grids
you failed to maintain a safe instillation so you have been cut off
the onus is on you to recover the money from the tenant
off course its not your fault but thats the way it works i am afraid
You should realise that if as an HA you choose to house people who include some of the worst tenants in the country then you will often have to foot costs of repairs.
Suppose the tenant had damaged the property, baths, basins etc. then you would have had to have repaired them at your HA's cost.
Same for an energy supply.
I do appreciate that they severely overcharge knowing they have no competition. But you can appeal against that to the regulating bodies who will find in your favour probably but you will never get anything back.
Just accept if you must house drug addicts and serious debtors then your costs will be high.
Tony
Suppose the tenant had damaged the property, baths, basins etc. then you would have had to have repaired them at your HA's cost.
Same for an energy supply.
I do appreciate that they severely overcharge knowing they have no competition. But you can appeal against that to the regulating bodies who will find in your favour probably but you will never get anything back.
Just accept if you must house drug addicts and serious debtors then your costs will be high.
Tony
The previous tenant was fiddling with the meter and cabling coming into the property. After the meter is ours yes, but all this tampering was done beforehand.
We didn't fail to maintain a safe installation, yearly checks are done to the electrics, the last report previous to the tenant tampering with the meter and incoming supply.
If this guy has done criminal damage to their equipment it is for them to pursue for costs from the gulity party just like they would pursue for outstanding payment or to claim on their insurance?
We didn't fail to maintain a safe installation, yearly checks are done to the electrics, the last report previous to the tenant tampering with the meter and incoming supply.
If this guy has done criminal damage to their equipment it is for them to pursue for costs from the gulity party just like they would pursue for outstanding payment or to claim on their insurance?
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Whist as a Housing Association we accept we are going to house people with scant regard to property but if we find they have damaged our property we have a recharge process which continues on to court action to try to recover costs.
They damage our equipment we chase tehm.
In those case the tenant has damaged British gas equi[pment, and Northern PowerGrid have removed the supply without notifying us. If we were notified of damage we could have stepped into resolve the issue there and then, not to find out at a much later date that all this has happend through no fault of our own and that we now have to pay for something that in reality is between the outgoing tenant, for which British Gas have all the details for, and either British Gas the registered supplier or Northern PowerGrid who carried out the works in the first place.
They damage our equipment we chase tehm.
In those case the tenant has damaged British gas equi[pment, and Northern PowerGrid have removed the supply without notifying us. If we were notified of damage we could have stepped into resolve the issue there and then, not to find out at a much later date that all this has happend through no fault of our own and that we now have to pay for something that in reality is between the outgoing tenant, for which British Gas have all the details for, and either British Gas the registered supplier or Northern PowerGrid who carried out the works in the first place.
M
mysteryman
A qualified and registered electrician should be able to do the necessary. Your only recourse to recouping costs will be from the tenant.
It was YOUR tenant and your HA has to accept the costs of damage done by your tenant!
Just as any OWNER would have to !
Why do HAs expect to put disastrous tenants into property and leave private landlords and utility suppliers picking up the costs of the damage their tenants cause?
Why do you choose to differentiate between damage done INSIDE the property and equivalent damage done to the supply?
As a matter of interest why has the tenant left and where is he living now?
Tony
Just as any OWNER would have to !
Why do HAs expect to put disastrous tenants into property and leave private landlords and utility suppliers picking up the costs of the damage their tenants cause?
Why do you choose to differentiate between damage done INSIDE the property and equivalent damage done to the supply?
As a matter of interest why has the tenant left and where is he living now?
Tony
As I understand it we cannot have a qualified electrician reconnect a house to the national supply.
"Why do HAs expect to put disastrous tenants into property and leave private landlords and utility suppliers picking up the costs of the damage their tenants cause?"
Any damage done to private landlords properties are dealt with the same way damage to HA owned properties, we go through the recharge process to chase the vacating tenant for costs and criminal damage is claimed for through insurance.
The damage to the supply, details of which I cannot determine because of Confidentiality reasons between British Gas and the tenant who caused the damage, was determined without our knowledge and without our consent. Should we have been warned that damage was being caused, Northern Power Grid must have had their suspicions to check the property in the first place, we could have come to some agreement, charged the tenant there and then, or proceeded with an eviction, whatever was required at the time.
As it was the tenant lived at that property for several months, apparently without electric and apparently without British Gas the supplier or Northern PowerGrid bothering to pursue any claims of criminal damage, or to seek any costs incurred. It was a surprise to us when the tenant left without noitice, to reside with family, and when we find a supply has been removed with a overly expensive cost to reinstate.
If there had benn some communication between Brith Gas, Northern PowerGrid and oursleves things could have and would have been different. If they had pursued the tenant for the costs of this criminal damge to THEIR equipment then again, things would be different. As it is we have been given no other option to pay the price for the installation of an electric supply when we were not consulted about it at the time, we have not been consulted since, when British Gas and or Northern PowerGrid have not made nor are willing to make any attempts to recover costs from the guilty party.
What I do not like about this is the fact that Northern PowerGrid can remove any supply they like and just hold innocent parties to ransom until they pay out excessive amounts to reconnect a supply.
Any damage done to private landlords properties are dealt with the same way damage to HA owned properties, we go through the recharge process to chase the vacating tenant for costs and criminal damage is claimed for through insurance.
The damage to the supply, details of which I cannot determine because of Confidentiality reasons between British Gas and the tenant who caused the damage, was determined without our knowledge and without our consent. Should we have been warned that damage was being caused, Northern Power Grid must have had their suspicions to check the property in the first place, we could have come to some agreement, charged the tenant there and then, or proceeded with an eviction, whatever was required at the time.
As it was the tenant lived at that property for several months, apparently without electric and apparently without British Gas the supplier or Northern PowerGrid bothering to pursue any claims of criminal damage, or to seek any costs incurred. It was a surprise to us when the tenant left without noitice, to reside with family, and when we find a supply has been removed with a overly expensive cost to reinstate.
If there had benn some communication between Brith Gas, Northern PowerGrid and oursleves things could have and would have been different. If they had pursued the tenant for the costs of this criminal damge to THEIR equipment then again, things would be different. As it is we have been given no other option to pay the price for the installation of an electric supply when we were not consulted about it at the time, we have not been consulted since, when British Gas and or Northern PowerGrid have not made nor are willing to make any attempts to recover costs from the guilty party.
What I do not like about this is the fact that Northern PowerGrid can remove any supply they like and just hold innocent parties to ransom until they pay out excessive amounts to reconnect a supply.
M
mysteryman
A qualified spark can certify that the installation is sound before you apply for reconnection by the supplier.
Everything within the property is as electrically sound as we can possibly test without an incoming supply or meter.
British Gas are happily harping onto me how they can fit a meter in straight away, for no charge, once we have paid for the new supply connection and that the work is carried out. As if that is my sore point in all this. I know British Gas supply meters for free, as do all the other suppliers, what I am annoyed at is that they are in now way interested in this problem despite them being the registered electrical supplier to this property.
If I go home tonight to find my electrical supply problematic or gone I will ring my supplier for an explanation. They as the registered supplier should resolve supply issues. But in this instance they just want to wash their hands of it.
British Gas are happily harping onto me how they can fit a meter in straight away, for no charge, once we have paid for the new supply connection and that the work is carried out. As if that is my sore point in all this. I know British Gas supply meters for free, as do all the other suppliers, what I am annoyed at is that they are in now way interested in this problem despite them being the registered electrical supplier to this property.
If I go home tonight to find my electrical supply problematic or gone I will ring my supplier for an explanation. They as the registered supplier should resolve supply issues. But in this instance they just want to wash their hands of it.
At the end of the day it is the owners property.
it doesn't matter who was in the property at the time or who did the
damage. The electric company whoever are responsible for
getting the electric into the building don't care.
The can remove whatever they see fit if they think it dangerous
that goes for gas and electric.
The owner of the property has to foot the bill.
Motto of the story. Be careful who you rent to.
it doesn't matter who was in the property at the time or who did the
damage. The electric company whoever are responsible for
getting the electric into the building don't care.
The can remove whatever they see fit if they think it dangerous
that goes for gas and electric.
The owner of the property has to foot the bill.
Motto of the story. Be careful who you rent to.
M
mysteryman
You do not seem to know your own job. If there was a dangerous situation, the supplier quite correctly disconnected the supply to protect the tenant, the public, the building, themselves and yourselves in that order. Your organisation then has to certify to the supplier that the dangerous situation has been resolved. They can then reconnect.
From what you have posted, you would be the first to bellyache if there had been a disaster.
From what you have posted, you would be the first to bellyache if there had been a disaster.
Any criminal damage is the responsability of the home owner? That is ridiculous. A Housing Association cannot be deemed at fault for any criminal activities within their properties. Especially when we have not been advised of the criminal damage!
I cannot question the legality of Northern PowerGrid for confidentiality reasons.
The meter, and the supply is not the owners property but the property of the registered supplier.
The tenant who damaged the suppliers property is not being held accountable by either the supplier or Northern PowerGrid who made the decision independant of anyone.
This is despite that both British Gas and Northern PowerGrid knew who was responsible for the damage, knew where he was living and know where he is living now.
Surely it is not just me who sees the ridiculous nature of this problem?
British Gas do not care about their supply. Northern PowerGrid will happily stand the cost involved in the removal of a supply happy in the knowledge that some poor numptie will be saddled with a bill that should not be theirs, happy in the knowledge that they have people over a barrell.
"Why chase the costs to damage to our property, we'll just demand excessive money from the next fool along the road."
I want shares in National PowerGrid, they can demand any amount of money and whoever is stuck with the job of getting reconnected apparently has no means to question this.
I cannot question the legality of Northern PowerGrid for confidentiality reasons.
The meter, and the supply is not the owners property but the property of the registered supplier.
The tenant who damaged the suppliers property is not being held accountable by either the supplier or Northern PowerGrid who made the decision independant of anyone.
This is despite that both British Gas and Northern PowerGrid knew who was responsible for the damage, knew where he was living and know where he is living now.
Surely it is not just me who sees the ridiculous nature of this problem?
British Gas do not care about their supply. Northern PowerGrid will happily stand the cost involved in the removal of a supply happy in the knowledge that some poor numptie will be saddled with a bill that should not be theirs, happy in the knowledge that they have people over a barrell.
"Why chase the costs to damage to our property, we'll just demand excessive money from the next fool along the road."
I want shares in National PowerGrid, they can demand any amount of money and whoever is stuck with the job of getting reconnected apparently has no means to question this.
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