There is a clause in my tenancy agreement:
“The Tenant shall not change the type of meter or metering services at the Property or allow anyone else to do so.”
However, the meter is not a smart meter and I wish to change it to a smart meter.
I am the one who pay the bills.
Could changing the meter to a smart meter violates the agreement?
I have asked my landlord (actually a property agency) but they didn’t give me an answer.
Ofgem says:
"If you rent your property
If you pay for the gas or electricity in your rented property, you can choose to have a smart meter.
We recommend you tell your landlord before you get one. That’s because there may be rules in your tenancy agreement about how energy is supplied to the property, including the type of meter that can be installed.
If your landlord pays the energy bills, the decision to get a smart meter is up to them.
If your tenancy agreement says you need your landlord’s permission to alter metering at your property, they should not unreasonably prevent it."
So I would write to the agent saying that you contacted them on x date and received no response, quoting the ofgem advice and giving them a deadline to reply with a positive response or a valid reason why not. If they then don’t reply, or they say no without a reasonable reason, I would make a formal complaint to them because if they don’t respond properly to that you can then ask them for a deadlock letter and refer it to their ombudsman.
Why do you want a smart meter? They aren’t very smart. Get cut off remotely this winter if you don’t pay your massive heating bill for starters.
I have one mainly so I don’t have to keep sending meter readings.
I also have apps so I can see what I’m using (Loop/Greenely) but that’s just out of interest and I wouldn’t get a smart meter just for that.
The contract clause is probably unenforceable as the tenant is at liberty to change the meter.
My electricity provider says if I don’t install one they might charge me a variable rate instead of the fixed rate we agreed on.
Great advice. Thank you!
Speak with landlord first and explain why you want one. Seems reasonable enough to me now you have explained. I’m sure they would agree despite what ast says.
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