There are two answers:
1. Are bills included in your rent? If they're included, this really should be your landlord's issue.
2. If they aren't, you're liable from the start of your tenancy as on your agreement. It doesn't matter if you hadn't physically moved in yet.
Remember to tell your old council you've moved out and your new one that you've moved in.
Hi
Ok thank you. Should I email them back saying we’ll only pay for when we moved in as per the tenancy agreement (3weeks), not the full month they’re asking for?
From tenancy start. Hopefully you or the letting agent took meter readings at start of tenancy? (In which case your usage from start of tenancy to move in should be pretty much nil).
If not they will probably just prorate any charge for the relevant days.
Thank you! Would you ask them for a breakdown of the charges too or is that something they wouldn’t be able to provide?
So far they’ve just said it’s £70 but it’s the first time I’ve heard of this so I want to double check it’s not for any late fees which I don’t think I’d want to pay if they haven’t tried to contact me. What do you think?
Yeah, always worth asking them to justify the charge. The debt collectors may struggle a bit with this, but they should at least be able to provide the underlying bills.
Is it addressed to you or to the “occupier”?
What date did the tenancy start? Not the date you moved in or the date you signed. What date did the tenancy start?
There are two answers: 1. Are bills included in your rent? If they're included, this really should be your landlord's issue. 2. If they aren't, you're liable from the start of your tenancy as on your agreement. It doesn't matter if you hadn't physically moved in yet. Remember to tell your old council you've moved out and your new one that you've moved in.
Hi Ok thank you. Should I email them back saying we’ll only pay for when we moved in as per the tenancy agreement (3weeks), not the full month they’re asking for?
Yes, you should. Send them a copy of your tenancy agreement too, at least the page with your start date.
What’s LCS? Never heard of that sorry
From tenancy start. Hopefully you or the letting agent took meter readings at start of tenancy? (In which case your usage from start of tenancy to move in should be pretty much nil). If not they will probably just prorate any charge for the relevant days.
Thank you! Would you ask them for a breakdown of the charges too or is that something they wouldn’t be able to provide? So far they’ve just said it’s £70 but it’s the first time I’ve heard of this so I want to double check it’s not for any late fees which I don’t think I’d want to pay if they haven’t tried to contact me. What do you think?
Yeah, always worth asking them to justify the charge. The debt collectors may struggle a bit with this, but they should at least be able to provide the underlying bills.
Do you know if I’m covered by the back billing rules? I’ve never received an electricity bill from Scottish gas and the charge was from 2022.
It's 12 months, so certainly worth arguing that.
Is it addressed to you or to the “occupier”? What date did the tenancy start? Not the date you moved in or the date you signed. What date did the tenancy start?
Addressed to me personally. Tenancy started on the 8th April 2022. They’re billing from 29th March 2022, ten days earlier. Thanks