Energy bills - previous landlord

[crossap]

Hi All,

I am hoping someone can provide some advice (sorry not entirely sure of the correct forum).

Our previous landlord is persuing us for historic electric charges please see below details:

Background information: We leased an electric car via Onto that includes unlimited charging at multiple charging vendor stations
The property was 1 of 3 terraced houses (landlords house had significant building works during our time there)

Timeline of events:

Jan 2023: Landlords install 2 electric chargers (one to our property and one to theirs)
Aug 2023: Vacated Property

Oct 2023: Contact from Landlord stating they believe they have been paying for our electric car charing during our tenancy as they have only just noticed their bills have tripled each month for the past 6 months. Our response was that they may want to check with the supplier as there had been a debt incorrectly applied oon our meter that was not our own in the past (it was theirs or someone else) and once we found out about it we had it removed. Potentially the debt had been added to their account. I asked them if they had contacted the original installer if not then they need to in order to get them to review their install and confirm their liability

Feb 2024: Contact again from landlord with a video recorded by a friend of theirs performing electrical work at their premises who shows the cables stating it's incorrect. I again immediately responded thanking them but stating I believed as per my last response (and theirs) in Oct that they would be getting the original installers to check and that they need to do this in order for them to be liable and pursued. I re-iterated the fact that both our cars already had pre-paid charging and that we had only charged at home due to the level of cost increase we saw on our electricity. Had the cost increased by £250 a month as they mention then we would not have charged at home but their failure to notice their bills had increased by more than X3 per month had removed this opportunity.

Feb 2025: Contact today stating they had gone to the Ombudsman and lost. They stated they had proof our cars had caused the increase energy bills and this amounted to in excess of £1000 and what payment arrangement did I want to setup.

I responded expressing you cannot ignore our last communication and contact me 1 year later requesting money - I reiterated that in short we didn't believe we were liable as due to their negligence in not identifying their bills increase for 6 months (and us seeing an increase - essentially their car charging cost) we were never given the opportunity to half our charging which we would have and utilised the already paid for charging. There was a little back and forth where I stated that ultimately I am not paying and they are welcome to go down the formal route as I have been provided with no concrete evidence showing our car charing (no electric readings from the supplier showing increased usage between 10pm and 8am as an example).

The latest response was that they plan to take us to small claims court and they provided a screen shot from the Ombudsmen that showed a response where they basically threw it out saying they found in Eons favour and that they had to sort it with the installer and us. Interestingly there was also a phrase that evidenced the landlord had misrepresented facts to the ombudsman claiming we had arranged for the EV charger install. We were not involved in the process and just users of what was installed by the 3rd party they selected and procured. Additionally it turns out that despite my multiple asks to get the original installers back they didn't action and the company is no longer trading.

Any advice is welcome? they are not apologetic for their involvement/lack of identification of the increased bill - I don't feel that we have done anything wrong, we saw an energy increase of around £60 a month so its not we should have easily identified we were not paying for our charging. As I stated I was happy paying this increased charge for charging convenience but would never have paid £250 per month for the convenience.

As of today there is still no detailed evidence just them stating for example their energy costs in Feb 2022 - March 2022 was £10.44 (for 3 adults...) and Feb 2023 - March 2023 was £283.15. There is no evidence showing times of increased usage as I mentioned nor days just these lump sum figures.

Appreciate any advice.

[echat11]

What might help is account information data over the last 2 years, but I take it that the account was in the landlords name.

I wonder if the landlord made a Subject Access Request to EON Next.

https://legalbeagles.info/library/gu...ccess-request/

Just to add that the Services Ombudsman is 'fickle'.

[crossap]

Hi,

the energy bill for our property was in our name and their bill in their (separate accounts). There is no way they could perform a SAR on our account.

The issue is they are stating the EV chargers they had installed were wired incorrectly. I am not sure how this could occur if honest as although installed on the same day the installers actioned one at a time and had to turn off the power as part of the process? So it does raise the query of something changing since the original install.

as I mentioned despite multiple requests for them to get the original installers to come and review their works and clarify their failings it was never actioned. I have learnt yesterday that the original installers are now no longer trading.

During our time at the propertiese had countless issues with the landlord that makes me question their character, such as them telling us not to change from prepay meter that was installed, that it was cheaper and they didn’t want us changing it. After 6 months I eventually despite asking the landlord many times found out there was a debt on the meter that I had been paying - thankfully the energy provider reimbursed this (prior to us moving into the property the landlord had been living between the 2 properties due to works on their house).

ultimately I am trying to understand if I am liable (as they are taking it to small claims). While there may have been a wiring issue I feel that due to their lack of action (noticing the tripling of their bills for 6 months) I was not provided with a fair opportunity to halt using the at home charging service and instead continue to use the already paid for /unlimited charging I had available. I can confidently state that if the energy uplift had been £200 per month I would have halted using the at home charger - hence I feel I should at most be liable for £200 which is the apparent monthly increase they saw.

Additionally they are attempting to claim all of the uplift from previous bills are due to my Charging vs providing any actual evidence as I requested showing times of usage /watts consumed to provide an exact amount if indeed I am liable (night time charging).

in addition they have also failed to acknowledge during this time while they would have charged their cars I paid for their charging.

Appreciate any help

[echat11]

So you are waiting for them to 'initiate' proceedings against you, which they might or might not do.

When and if the Court claim comes you will defend it.

So what you need to do is gather your evidence, i.e. send a Subject Access Request to Eon Next, they should send that to you within 30 days. work out on Excel spreadsheets what you believe the bills should be and what they actually are.

[crossap]

Yes that’s correct - ok thank you I will do.

i actually started to calculate some figures last night (ID 4 standard full charge cost and miles for it) and same for Mini Cooper (their electric vehicles).

I think my main issue is the frustration that I should be held liable for something I was never given the opportunity to stop due to them apparently no seeing their electricity bills tripled for 6 months and in addition despite me repeatedly asking to get the original installers involved they failed to do so and they are no longer trading.

thanks for your help