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Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? - Properties - Nairaland

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This Is Why Ive Been Avoiding A Shared Apartment. How Can I Handle This? / How Do I Handle My Landlord?? / My Landlord And I (2) (3) (4)

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Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Freethought(m): 6:38am On Feb 13, 2023
I have been on the same prepaid meter with my landlord since i came to this house 2 years ago, he charge 5k monthly for electricity and I've paid deligently for the past two years.

Last week Saturday he brought an electrician to the house to install the prepaid meter he got for both of us (me and the other tenant). We were not informed about this step until that saturday they brought the meter.

Long story short, we discovered there's a debt of 53k on the meter (estimated bill since he registered for the new meter)

Now, he's asking us to pay the bill ourselves since he collected the meter for us. Mind you, he never for once stopped collecting the 5k.

I want to believe one or two nairalanders have been through something similar to this, that's why I'm here to seek help on how to go about it.

3 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Nwodosis(m): 6:41am On Feb 13, 2023
When one applies for a prepaid meter, PHCN will start charging you estimated billing every month until the meter comes. It is not the fault of your landlord that the meter came with unpaid bills.
Your landlord ought to have informed you that he's getting you a new meter and have you disconnected from the general meter so that you won't be paying bills to him again since you are already on the estimated billing in the incoming meter. It may not be his fault because he may not know how PHCN operate.
You are right and your landlord is also right based on his ignorance of how PHCN operates.
Taking up the matter legally, if you win, you will park out and if you lose, you will still park out. You can't take your landlord to court and still remain in his house.
I advise you clear the bill that came with the prepaid meter.

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Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Berrityga: 6:46am On Feb 13, 2023
Like this comment if you don't give a fuuuucck

13 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by wunmi590(m): 6:46am On Feb 13, 2023


Your landlord is a thief, I'm sorry to say...

Why would you even allow you and your landlord to be sharing meter in the first place and be paying 5k monthly....

The 5k you can comfortably used yourself for 2month, if you hardly stay at home....

Your landlord should go and find away to settle the bill not you, you can't pay for what you didn't use..

Tomorrow same landlord will be abusing Buhari, tinibu, peter obi and all politicians of being corrupt....

41 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Tokskob2008: 6:57am On Feb 13, 2023
What does he mean by "he collected the metre for you guys"
The metre is registered in his name and solely belongs to him, the right thing would have being to pay half the debt and beg you guys to pay the other half since he can't afford to pay for his property fully.

Won't it be better if you add money to it and go get yourself a personal prepaid metre that you can go along with anytime you are vacating his house

Prepaid metre isn't meant to be shared by the way. This just shows how lowly and stingy your landlord is.

28 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Mindlog: 7:35am On Feb 13, 2023
Your landlord is a fraud. angry

14 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by ChybuzzDD(m): 7:59am On Feb 13, 2023
Nwodosis:
When one applies for a prepaid meter, PHCN will start charging you estimated billing every month until the meter comes. It is not the fault of your landlord that the meter came with unpaid bills.
Your landlord ought to have informed you that he's getting you a new meter and have you disconnected from the general meter so that you won't be paying bills to him again since you are already on the estimated billing in the incoming meter. It may not be his fault because he may not know how PHCN operate.
You are right and your landlord is also right based on his ignorance of how PHCN operates.
Taking up the matter legally, if you win, you will park out and if you lose, you will still park out. You can't take your landlord to court and still remain in his house.
I advise you clear the bill that came with the prepaid meter.

Your explanations are not correct.
The PHCN or whatever simply transferred the old, outstanding debts from the estimated bills into the new meter.
This 53,000 is the outstanding debt for the entire occupants, including the landlord, of that building starting from when ?PHCN started bringing bills to that house.
The landlord knows this and simply wants only this guy and his colleague to inherit it.
The man might not even be adding his own part of the bill after collecting those 5,000 from the guy, which made it possible for the bill to accumulate to this extent.
What he was doing was like this: if they brought an estimated bill of like 10,000 for the entire house per month, he would collect 5000 from this guy to pay in for the month to avoid disconnection, and the arrears kept accumulating.

The guy should reject it or simply pack out, if the landlord refuses to contribute towards settling this outstanding 53,000.

50 Likes 1 Share

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by ChybuzzDD(m): 8:06am On Feb 13, 2023
Mindlog:
Your landlord is a fraud. angry

Exactly.

2 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Richy4(m): 8:16am On Feb 13, 2023
If I was to be in your shoes, without being confrontational, I will write him an email or letter that looks like a query for him to kindly explain how you have been paying your share of 5k religiously only for you to be confronted with another kind of bill...

Every explanation will be documented... I won't encourage oral explanation to avoid ABC

8 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by NoToPile: 9:19am On Feb 13, 2023
ChybuzzDD:


Your explanations are not correct.
The PHCN or whatever simply transferred the old, outstanding debts from the estimated bills into the new meter.
This 53,000 is the outstanding debt for the entire occupants, including the landlord, of that building starting from when ?PHCN started bringing bills to that house.
The landlord knows this and simply wants only this guy and his colleague to inherit it.
The man might not even be adding his own part of the bill after collecting those 5,000 from the guy, which made it possible for the bill to accumulate to this extent.
What he was doing was like this: if they brought an estimated bill of like 10,000 for the entire house per month, he would collect 5000 from this guy to pay in for the month to avoid disconnection, and the arrears kept accumulating.

The guy should reject it or simply pack out, if the landlord refuses to contribute towards settling this outstanding 53,000.

The bolded is not entirely correct in this case (OP never said anyhing about bills they share one meter already) especially with Ikeja electric, those ones once you apply, if you are not aware that you need to tell them to make the account inactive, they start billing the house on estimated before the meter comes irrespective of whether it he flat is connected to power or not. Once the meter comes you they will transfer the bill to the meter.
I am 50percent sure it's ikeja electric they get brain touch like that, ekedc is still better in this aspect.


Also your 2nd paragraph might not be entirely correct, he never mentioned there was any form of estimated billing before in the compound, if there was, that outstanding would be part of the meter they both shared, it's most likely separation they applied for not a migration of postpaid to prepaid since the OP didn't mention there was another bill coming to the other flat in the compound.

Nwodosis:
When one applies for a prepaid meter, PHCN will start charging you estimated billing every month until the meter comes. It is not the fault of your landlord that the meter came with unpaid bills.
Your landlord ought to have informed you that he's getting you a new meter and have you disconnected from the general meter so that you won't be paying bills to him again since you are already on the estimated billing in the incoming meter. It may not be his fault because he may not know how PHCN operate.
You are right and your landlord is also right based on his ignorance of how PHCN operates.
Taking up the matter legally, if you win, you will park out and if you lose, you will still park out. You can't take your landlord to court and still remain in his house.
I advise you clear the bill that came with the prepaid meter.

Yeah he should have but the problem is the OP would be in darkness for the weeks /months the meter will take to arrive and I am certain he won't want that, the landlord would also be tagged wicked if he did that.


If he wants to take it legally he should take it up the the Distribution company not the landlord., they are the ones at fault, the landlord did no harm by getting the prepaid for his tenants.

One guy got the same type of billing on this NL, before prepaid, took it up with them and won.


It's not the OP's or his landlords fault, it's the system. I would also advise the OP and neighbor to pay it up, it will be fragmented I think.
Or better still take it up with the Nepa people, prove you guys were on the single prepaid that period you were waiting for the new meter, if you have the zeal and zest to drag it with them, Report to the appropriate forum for your disco it will be resolved, it will take time though, your landlord has done his part you too do your part Freethought.

9 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by bigdammyj: 12:47pm On Feb 13, 2023
Reading...
Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Sonnobax15(m): 12:47pm On Feb 13, 2023
lipsrsealed
Una landlord wan use una take cash out....

3 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Nobody: 12:47pm On Feb 13, 2023
Nwodosis:
When one applies for a prepaid meter, PHCN will start charging you estimated billing every month until the meter comes. It is not the fault of your landlord that the meter came with unpaid bills.
Your landlord ought to have informed you that he's getting you a new meter and have you disconnected from the general meter so that you won't be paying bills to him again since you are already on the estimated billing in the incoming meter. It may not be his fault because he may not know how PHCN operate.
You are right and your landlord is also right based on his ignorance of how PHCN operates.
Taking up the matter legally, if you win, you will park out and if you lose, you will still park out. You can't take your landlord to court and still remain in his house.
I advise you clear the bill that came with the prepaid meter.

You're on point. The issue is from the Discos like EKEDC, IKEDC. That's how they behave, always issuing meters with pre-existing bills... But I think the money is more of the cost of the meter itself, cos they charge for it. So if their landlord didn't pay for it, they have to keep paying it as part of the bills...

3 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by chukwuibuipob: 12:48pm On Feb 13, 2023
sad
Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by tonididdy(m): 12:49pm On Feb 13, 2023
Oga tenants pay your bills



…tenants whine the F too much 😡, maybe you should go price a bag of cement in todays mkt

…if them give you quit notice, you go still run come here.
That landlord has being subsidizing your electricity bills for over2years for you. The very minute he decided to get you your own meter, you run come NL.
Pls comeback after a month and tell the house if you consume less than 5k units a month!

3 Likes 1 Share

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by warizi: 12:49pm On Feb 13, 2023
Why should you pay the bill you did not incur, i don't understand?

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Godwin4444: 12:49pm On Feb 13, 2023
A
Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by mechanics(m): 12:50pm On Feb 13, 2023
That's an old prepaid meter, maybe you should go to the office and find out yourself, prepaid meters don't come with estimated bills except the house you are staying has outstanding bills to clear.

3 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Godwin4444: 12:50pm On Feb 13, 2023
Nwodosis:
When one applies for a prepaid meter, PHCN will start charging you estimated billing every month until the meter comes. It is not the fault of your landlord that the meter came with unpaid bills.
Your landlord ought to have informed you that he's getting you a new meter and have you disconnected from the general meter so that you won't be paying bills to him again since you are already on the estimated billing in the incoming meter. It may not be his fault because he may not know how PHCN operate.
You are right and your landlord is also right based on his ignorance of how PHCN operates.
Taking up the matter legally, if you win, you will park out and if you lose, you will still park out. You can't take your landlord to court and still remain in his house.
I advise you clear the bill that came with the prepaid meter.
your first line is pure fallacy

Once u request for a prepaid meter u will n given a “ to whom it may concern “ letter by phcn in which u will b paying a stipulated amount of money on monthly basis till d arrival of the meter

When I applied for mine they gave me d letter n made it clear I will b paying 2k monthly n anytime their officials come around I do justice to that in respect of d 2k

That 53k on prepaid meter is what I don’t know about

2 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Bimffo(m): 12:50pm On Feb 13, 2023
You are lucky.

Got a house in Ogba, Lagos then. Good looking house. I don furnish house. One night, na so meter finish, I say make I call landlady, naso she point me to where meter dey.

As I reach there sey make I check, guess wetin I see? 1 million naira + debt. Omoor I wan mad.

Wait, who go pay am.? I asked her. She talk sey way dey how then them do am. Omoor I word landlady. I tell am, make she just dey collect money from me. I no wan dey see that meter.

Next morning, Quit notice. House wey I never use 2 weeks.

7 Likes 1 Share

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by padi94(m): 12:51pm On Feb 13, 2023
I mean just find out from the NEPA guys how the metr process is and why the debt... Truth is as far as you use that meter you will pay the debt, cos they will be removing it from the unit you buy untill you pay all... 10000 naira unit they may give you six thousand work and use 4k to offset the debt.

2 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by ImoleNaija: 12:53pm On Feb 13, 2023
#53k is much nah.

And to even think you have been paying #5k monthly before its arrival.

3 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by frankson1(m): 12:56pm On Feb 13, 2023
Nwodosis:
When one applies for a prepaid meter, PHCN will start charging you estimated billing every month until the meter comes. It is not the fault of your landlord that the meter came with unpaid bills.
Your landlord ought to have informed you that he's getting you a new meter and have you disconnected from the general meter so that you won't be paying bills to him again since you are already on the estimated billing in the incoming meter. It may not be his fault because he may not know how PHCN operate.
You are right and your landlord is also right based on his ignorance of how PHCN operates.
Taking up the matter legally, if you win, you will park out and if you lose, you will still park out. You can't take your landlord to court and still remain in his house.
I advise you clear the bill that came with the prepaid meter.



The metre would have been gotten illegally, the reason for the 53k debt. The tenant should insist that a new metre be brought for them.

1 Like

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by TheOldGods: 12:57pm On Feb 13, 2023
ChybuzzDD:


Your explanations are not correct.
The PHCN or whatever simply transferred the old, outstanding debts from the estimated bills into the new meter.
This 53,000 is the outstanding debt for the entire occupants, including the landlord, of that building starting from when ?PHCN started bringing bills to that house.
The landlord knows this and simply wants only this guy and his colleague to inherit it.
The man might not even be adding his own part of the bill after collecting those 5,000 from the guy, which made it possible for the bill to accumulate to this extent.
What he was doing was like this: if they brought an estimated bill of like 10,000 for the entire house per month, he would collect 5000 from this guy to pay in for the month to avoid disconnection, and the arrears kept accumulating.

The guy should reject it or simply pack out, if the landlord refuses to contribute towards settling this outstanding 53,000.
park out because of 53k to pay non-refundable agent and lawyers fee of upto 200k in a new environment/apartment, Intelligency is far away from you

4 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by Darkseid(m): 12:57pm On Feb 13, 2023
I'll just tell him that if he doesn't clear the bills I'll bypass it and plan my exit from the house. Afterall na him go pay fine once NEPA find out say person bypass meter.

3 Likes

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by FriendofGod: 12:58pm On Feb 13, 2023
Freethought:
I have been on the same prepaid meter with my landlord since i came to this house 2 years ago, he charge 5k monthly for electricity and I've paid deligently for the past two years.

Last week Saturday he brought an electrician to the house to install the prepaid meter he got for both of us (me and the other tenant). We were not informed about this step until that saturday they brought the meter.

Long story short, we discovered there's a debt of 53k on the meter (estimated bill since he registered for the new meter)

Now, he's asking us to pay the bill ourselves since he collected the meter for us. Mind you, he never for once stopped collecting the 5k.

I want to believe one or two nairalanders have been through something similar to this, that's why I'm here to seek help on how to go about it.



The debt of 53k was transferred from you people's postpaid meter to the prepaid meter.



Your landlord should be answering questions from you people.

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Prepaid Meter: How Do I Handle This With My Landlord? by rottenegg: 12:59pm On Feb 13, 2023
Just move out, look for land and build your own house, get tenants and do the samething to them.
Naija na vicious cycle!

2 Likes

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