Agents accused of creating confusion over smart meter...

Letting agents have been accused of creating confusion amongst renters when it comes to smart meters.

A company promoting smart meters claims that just under half of letting agents questioned in a survey said they had added a change of meter clause to their tenancy agreement,

This was “despite installation being the billpayer’s right” according to a claim by SmartEnergyGB.

Some 19 per cent of tenants think their landlord would say no if they asked for permission to make changes to their home, and 11 per cent are worried they will lose their security deposit if they do so without permission; the company also claims 33 per cent of tenants fear possible eviction.

In a statement by SmartEnergyGB, property consultant Kate Faulkner says: “It is natural to want to make your home as comfortable as possible, and the good news is that there are some improvements private renters can make to their homes which don’t require permission from the landlord, or which the landlord is happy for you to go ahead with.

“Things like tidying the garden or outdoor space and of course adding your own furniture can make it feel more like home - all of which can be easily removed prior to leaving.

“Requesting a smart meter from your energy supplier is another way to take control of your home environment, as they give you visibility over your energy use and spend. Many tenants (and landlords) don't realise if you pay the energy bills it is your right to request a smart meter installation. In most cases, your landlord doesn’t even need to be present for the installation, but it's wise to let them or their letting agent know, in writing, you have requested one.”

No Name
23 April 2021 16:03 PM

Not that simple no, Lets use my very real-life example. Say you are in a well built up area of London that is being gentrified and growing in value each year. You have only been there two yearsm but new buildings popping up and organic stores on every corner.

Lets say you have a landlord who knows he can get more for this apartment, but cant justify any breach of contract and so wants ideally see us gone to do some minor renovations and get more for his property. By the way this is not one of those scenarios where we are paying nothing in rent, its already quite high, but it being London theres always more to look for.
Well our landlord is happy to point out that we are in breach of contract for not letting him know we asked to get the smart meter fitted. We should have let him know, but as the article said, maybe we thought we did not need the headache of him not approving and us having to justify it. We just wanted a bit of transparency on our electricity usage, not thinking we would save an enourmous amount. We are paying the bill, have the account in our name etc. Why would we consider him in this as well...
Anyway. Now we know he will be using this at the end of this years contract as a reason for not only keeping us responisble for a breach of contract, but also probably justifying it towards keeping some of our deposit. Maybe we have to go to court or justify it towards some comitee. Either way a fun end of year thing to worry about after Covid. Landlords protect themselves and most fo the time it makes sense based on the horror of some tenents they could get, but, and it is a big but, there is an incredible amount of suffering for people payng their bills on time and just want to feel safe and secure in an apartment they enjoy living in.