ESB bill - what to do?

Hi all,

I'm a new poster so here goes. Bought home in '07, 6 homes in estate, 5 eventually sold. Moved in when road not done, 2 light bulbs with cables for street lighting no green area (big mistake, paid the price). Council eventually issued enforcement order which was complied with in August 2010. We're very lucky now to have lights, tarmac etc, and very grateful with the present climate.

My problem is the builder basically runs the management company, they are the 2 directors and 1 secretary. They never notified residents of AGMs financial accounts even though we are actual shareholders. I paid €675 on day 1 as per the contract, and believe in paying my way. Last month the secretary (as the builders secretary) issued a bill saying we each owed approximately €1700, mostly for ESB since 2007. I have always paid my bills in life. The problem here is that he is referring to the ESB MPR no that the builder has been tapped into since he came on site. The ESB bills seem to "spike" dramatically when he was working and visibly plugged in. The temporary lights on the estate were literally 2 bulbs hanging from sticks with cables running from them. I even had to plug them into the back of my home for 3 months at the beginning. The ESB state that this is normally a builders supply given to them at the start of building.

I would welcome any advice or opinions on this.

Just to confirm, is this the first fee to be paid since the initial 675 in 2007? Does it include all other things that it should, insurance, keeping green areas etc. or how much of it is electricity ?

You are entitled to an audited set of accounts with a complete breakdown of everything.

Hi Hippy1975,

This new bill does include other things which I have no problem at all paying for. The ESB is about 70% of the bill. There is no way now of showing exactly how much of this one MPR no. that the builder was using. So I'm just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. Is this MPR no. the responsibility of the Builder while he was on site for the 3 years and constantly using it?? I want to pay my bills, but something isn't right with this one. Thanks.

What is MPR?

Hippy1975,

Yes this the 1st bill we have received since 2007. It was literally a mucky building site until August 2010.

Bertie1,
Thanks for your post. I've written to them for accounts etc. I have no doubt the ESB costs were incurred. The question is who was incurring them?

Hi Bronte,

Sorry for any confusion. The MPR is the Meter Point Reference number. In this estates case this number commenced in 2007 and was used by the builder for equipment for 3 years. The ESB state that this relates to one account only.

Do you ordinarily pay an electricity bill for your own usage in your own house?
You are not responsible for electricity that the builder uses.

I do pay my own ESB bill, no problems there. I suppose we thought that while the builder was on site and plugged in that it was his bill. I suppose his argument is that we were using ESB from the treatment plant for the sewage (which services all 6 homes), and for his "lights". There is a conflict of interest, as the builders have more or less kept the management company to themselves. The builder has paid the ESB bill to date, but is now obviously looking to recoup money. The Management company secretary is clearly looking at this matter in the favour of the builders, of which he is one.

How can the different parts to the ESB bill be seperated? Is it the builders bill? What should I do? Any ideas are welcome.

I would suggest you ask the ESB to sort it out.

Is the builder still on site and using power ?

Ask the Esb to come on site and take a meter reading with you at present. Then ask them in their experience how much usage they would expect on a weekly basis for the number of car park / street lights you have on site. Next week go back and take a meter reading. See if they are roughly in line with what the ESB say. Then go back to builder and say based on this, adjusting up for winter months and down for summer months, this is all you as owners are prepared to pay. See how they respond. Then go back to ESB and outline your case.

You could also use the spike in your own ESB those years ago when you plugged the street lights in to back up your argument as to how much they actually cost to use.