Hi!
My friend and I moved into a two bedroom property a month ago. I've only ever lived in properties where the utility bills are inclusive.
Our gas bill is £75 and our electricity bill is £100.
We both work through the day and are really careful about how much gas and electric we use. We have the heating on around two hours a night.
The previous tentants had the bills set up quarterly and the bill is dated july-november. The landlord says the gas was switched off until we moved in.
What do you think? Anyone got any advice?
Thank you!
Laura.

We pay £45 a month combined, for gas and electric, in a one-bedroom bungalow. For a five-month period, it's easily possible for those bills to be correct; your problem is convincing the utility companies that you aren't responsible for it. You need to prove to them when you moved in.

As soon as you moved in, you should have contacted the utilities company, to tell them you were taking over the account and to give them the readings from the meters, so you only end up paying for what you use, and not the previous tenants. (Sorry, I know that's useless advice now, but it's something to bear in mind for the future!)

Is the bill in your names or the names of the previous tenants? If it's in your names, then somebody must have told the company that you were taking over the accounts and the company would have asked for readings.

Your first step is to contact the company (good luck!!) and explain that you've only moved in recently and that you're not responsible for the bill from July. It might take a bit of sorting, if they haven't got final readings for the last users, because of trying to work out who used what fuel when.

Thanks Dozy.
I do have the meter readings from when we moved in. I've contacted my landord about it, his name is still on the bills as he was living there before us. It just seemed a lot easier to give him the money for the bills than setting up direct debits and stuff, but I may have to do that any way.
I just wanted to get some advice on how much utility bills cost and what we should expect.
thank you for your help. :)

Thanks Dozy.
I do have the meter readings from when we moved in. I've contacted my landord about it, his name is still on the bills as he was living there before us. It just seemed a lot easier to give him the money for the bills than setting up direct debits and stuff, but I may have to do that any way.
I just wanted to get some advice on how much utility bills cost and what we should expect.
thank you for your help. :)

Cheeky sod! He's obviously trying it on. You're definitely better having the bills in your names, the last thing you want is to be giving him the money, then him not paying it.

No, all the bills come to the house, he will pay them, trust me, I can be a pain in the bum when I want to be.
I think he is trying it on abit that's why I wanted people's opinions. I'm going to tell him that we will be £50 towards the gas and £70 towards the electricity. After we've got it all straightened out I'll put the bills in my name. until then he's the one who will get into trouble if he doesn't pay up his part. Does that seem fair?

....... Does that seem fair?

Not without seeing the bills.

You have the readings.
Look at the bills. Are they readings or estimates? If estimates, get him to submit actual readings for a new bill.

If your entry reading is very similar to the reading at the start of the bill, pay up.
If your entry reading is a lot higher than the reading at the start of the bill, calculate a proportion and tell him not to try it on.

Or simply call up the gas/elec company with the meter readings you took at the start of your tenancy and ask for them to change the bills from that date into your name. They may then simply calculate the bill from then until now and send a final bill to your landlord for the period prior to you moving in. Not sure if this will work but it could be worth a try!

No, all the bills come to the house, he will pay them, trust me, I can be a pain in the bum when I want to be.
I think he is trying it on abit that's why I wanted people's opinions. I'm going to tell him that we will be £50 towards the gas and £70 towards the electricity. After we've got it all straightened out I'll put the bills in my name. until then he's the one who will get into trouble if he doesn't pay up his part. Does that seem fair?

You say you've got the meter readings from when you moved in? So take the final billed meter readings from the bill and calculate how many units you've used since you took the first ones. Then calculate what proportion of any other charges you owe. The calorific value conversions etc. are on the back of the bill - it shouldn't be too hard to work out.