I work for an energy supplier. A tenant sends us documents proving he moved out of a property we supply two months ago. He assumed his landlord had already contacted us, but he just received his quarterly statement and wanted to let us know he isn’t in the property anymore. He pays up to the day he moved out and provides the address of his landlord to send the bill for the last two months. The landlord calls us.
Landlord: “Why are you sending me a bill? I never gave you my address!”
Me: “Your address was provided to us by your tenant.”
Landlord: “They can’t do that, and you can’t bill me because I never consented to you supplying me once they moved out.”
Me: “Sir, we were only recently advised of the move-out. We’ve been supplying the property for two months since then and the energy needs to be paid for.”
Landlord: “It’s estimated, though; no one’s living there. How can it be so much?”
Me: “Our system is just estimating the usage based on previous usage. If you can give us more recent meter readings, we can get a more accurate bill for you.”
Landlord: “I don’t have that. I haven’t been there in weeks and I won’t be able to visit until next month.”
Me: “I’m sorry, but without those, we have to go by the estimation.”
Landlord: “Just send someone out to read it yourselves!”
Me: “Sir, we have no way of accessing the property to do that unless you let us in.”
Landlord: “Just use your key!”
Me: “Did you provide us with a key?”
Landlord: “Of course not!”
Me: “Then how would we have a key?”
Landlord: “All you suppliers have keys to the properties you supply.”
Me: “Sir, that’s just not true. You will need to pay the estimation if you cannot provide meter readings.”
Landlord: “I’m not paying it! You had no right to keep supplying the property, and this rate is ridiculous. How can you charge this?! It’s criminal!”
Me: “That would be our standard tariff rate. If a customer doesn’t sign up for one of our other tariffs, then we put them on this.”
Landlord: “That’s illegal! You should always put them on the cheapest tariff!”
Me: “I’m sorry, but our cheapest tariff means agreeing to have a smart meter install—”
Landlord: “I don’t want a smart meter!”
Me: “We understand that some people don’t want smart meters which is why we don’t put you on this tariff without speaking with you first.”
Landlord: “That’s criminal. There are a lot of elderly people who don’t like smart meters. You’re discriminating against them and forcing them to pay higher rates!”
Me: “Sir. Criminal would be forcing you to have a smart meter. If customers are unhappy with our prices, they always have the option of switching suppliers.”
Landlord: “Well, I definitely will be switching. This is disgusting and I will not pay it! You should have called me to ask if I wanted to stay with you.”
Me: “We do not hold a phone number for you, so we would have had no way to do this. We also do not call up people asking if they want to continue with us.”
Landlord: “I don’t care what you don’t do. That’s what you should have done!”
Me: “Sir, even if that was something we did, we were not aware that your tenant moved out until recently. We had no reason to believe someone else was responsible for the bills.”
Landlord: “You. Cannot. Bill. Me. Because. I. Never. Consented. To. Have. You. As. My. Supplier!”
Me: “As the owner, it is your responsibility to advise the utility companies supplying your property of any changes to tenancy. Regardless of whether or not you chose us, you are responsible for this bill.”
Landlord: “I never consented to f****** being with you! You cannot charge me!”
Me: “I’m sorry, but you should have arranged for another supplier to take over if you didn’t want to be with us.”
Landlord: “No, you should have just stopped the supply!”
Me: “Again, we did not know of the move out until recently, and since you did not contact us, we had no way to know you did not wish to continue with us.”
Landlord: “Which is why you should have f****** called me!”
Me: “Sir, please do not swear. We had no phone number and no way to call you.”
Landlord: “I’ll swear if I f****** want to! You’re a grown woman; just deal with it!”
Me: “You’re right, I am a grown woman, and as such, I have every right to ask you not to swear. I also have every right to disconnect this call, so please do not swear at me when I am just doing my job.”
Landlord: “I’m not paying this and I will be contacting my lawyer. You are all a bunch of scammers!” *Click*
It was another two months before he got round to switching the supplier, and yes, he had to pay for the energy used during this time.
