British Gas threatening to get warrant...

[AnthonyB]

Good evening, I wonder if anyone has some advice.

My tenant left the country due to Covid. Understandable .

However, a drawer full of unpaid bills from February yields a letter from BGas threatening to get a warrant to enter the flat and install PP meter. Tenant never registered with them, as required.
Tenant has told me that the bill was paid online 3 days ago

Unfortunately, since that letter , dated 11/3, BG has disconnected all customer service numbers, all chat facilities, even emails are given an automated "-this will not be read or actioned "response.to keep lines for emergency only.

I cannot therefor re-register the flat to my name (as this requires a telephone call), or check the account has been paid, or legal action is suspended.

I am trying to do the correct and legal thing as landlord, but do not know how to proceed.
Can anyone advise?

[boletus]

Inform them of the move online here (take screenshots);

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/discove.../hub-anonymous

No chance of them getting a warrant for months, if not years.
Don't worry about it.

[Jon66]

Providing you take a dated photo of the meter readings at the end or near the end of the tenancy you'll be fine.

[DPT57]

You say that the tenant never registered, but did YOU tell B Gas when they moved-in and give them meter readings? If not, they may hold you liable for the payments.

[AnthonyB]

Thanks for your help
Trouble is, the bills only have a reference number, and British Gas need a name as well to access online accounts, and bills are to The Occupier
And they have terminated ALL access to Customer Services, and have made themselves institutionally unavailable; a whole Utility in Self Isolation.
Going to put all this in a letter and send it to them, just as evidence of good faith.

[Section20z]

None of this is any of your concern. Just notify change of occupier and meter reading in normal way

[Flashback1966]

This is going to come back and haunt you. Ask the tenant for proof of payment of payment.

British Gas are one of the worst companies around.

You should have registered your tenant when he/she moved in. How long have the arrears have been accumulating?

Also, if they do put a pre-pay meters then there will be a debt on the meter and you will have a job trying to get them to re-set it, because they think you are lying. So the new tenant will be unhappy about having to pay the previous tenant debt.

How will British Gas enter the flat, will they break the door, will they re-instate it?

[jpkeates]

If they get a court order, they'll use a locksmith to access the property.
They do this routinely (although these are not routine times) - you can see their legal people in court waiting rooms with piles and piles of forms and folders.
The judges ask a few general questions and then they wade through the paperwork.

As you suggested, write a letter and keep a copy.
If your post office is open, send it 1st class from there with a proof of posting certificate.

[DPT57]

I had another large Energy provider break into a newly purchased flat to change the meter. I turned up a day after completion to begin cleaning it and found the workmen changing it. They wouldn't stop and it took so long to get through to the provider on the phone that it was too late.