Advice please on electricty/water usage...

[Davo36]

Well I dunno, I have a bit of a different take on this to everyone else.

You moved in there but now don't want to pay for power or water?

I agree the way the 2 flats are set up is pretty hopeless. But when you moved in, the lack of separate meters, no stove etc. didn't seem to bother you. But now that you have read the rules and see that you can get out of paying, you're using those rules.

So I think legally you're right but it doesn't sit quite right with me morally/ethically. You took the place on, agreed to pay the rent, utilities costs etc. but are now backing out of that. If it were me, I'd just find another place that suited my needs better.

[flyernzl]

From what you are saying:

- if there is a check meter for your electricity useage, and you are the only ones using the power that passes through that check meter, then you are liable for the cost of that power. If the HWC power does not pass through that check meter, then you are not liable for the cost of that part of the power.

- if there is only one water meter for the shared property and there is no check meter for the water supply to the portion of the system that only you use, then you are not liable for any of the water costs.

[Maccachic]

Think there is more to the story:

We already have a hearing 5th May for something else, will add the power/water to it when they don't do anything about it .

I rented a place similar and our rent included water and power as there wasn't seperate meters.

[Perry]

I doubt (but don't know) whether a "check meter" is a suitable instrument to measure power consumption.

So long as it is wired correctly, (I.e. measures the electricity used by the specific tenanted area ONLY) then a check
meter is a perfectly valid way of measuring electricity consumption. There's also an advantage for a tenant where
the accommodation uses a check meter. The power is already ON at the start of the tenancy, so no need to endure
all the hassle of dealing with any electricity retailer to initiate supply, bond requirements, and so forth.

[steven anderson]

Perry, not sure I agree with you to be honest. I'm not sure it has any legal validity, but if it does I stand corrected. I certainly would not agree to such a circumstance either as a tenant or landlord. That being said if others do then so be it. For what my opinion is worth using a check meter in such a circumstance tends to indicate that having meters is a problem for either landlord or tenant again reinforcing deeper set problems.

[Wayne]

who certifies the check meter?

[noodles]

Davo: We moved in not worrying about the stove because we had our own cooking appliances. The power and water however we were told by the property manager who showed us through who is friends with the landlord that the bill got sent to the landlord and she forwarded it to us, they didn't tell us the 'bill' was a page of calculations done by the landlord and we have never seen an actual bill. They didn't tell us about the water and power and how it was done. We probably should have asked more questions etc before we moved in but we were so desperate so move to be close to work. Knowing they are so dodgy, not doing things as they should be, knowing they are renting this property as 2 flats illegally, happily holding onto our bond for 3 months until we found out about it and still collecting our rent every week doesn't sit right with me. We are good tenants who have never had issues with any other landlords or PM's before and expect our landlords to be doing things correctly just because we were uneducated about all of this when we moved in doesn't make it OK. Would happily find somewhere new if we weren't on a fixed term.

[steven anderson]

Exactly, however I'm actually more concerned with having two full house loads coming off one fuse box, designed (i'm assuming) for one house load. What is potentially more concerning is the load that a "second house" might have coming what could be one power point. I'm no electrician but that scares me terribly.

[steven anderson]

Noodles, just get out of Dodge when you can and take the lesson with you.

[noodles]

Definitely will be moving asap even if it means paying double rent for a few weeks

[steven anderson]

Here's the opportunity for you. Indicate to the LL, agent (or both) what you are doing, ie. TT. Say you are looking to get out of the lease, i.e. terminate, give them the option of letting you out of the agreement or stay where you are. Meanwhile you've got the fallback and catch all of the TT I assume in coming weeks?

[noodles]

We only deal with the landlord the agent only showed us through, they are hopeless to communicate with, never seem to understand what we are talking about even when we email. But will definitely try that would be awesome to get out of here before May, TT is also in May.

[steven anderson]

TT in May - that is disgraceful. What a shambles. Try the TT as leverage and go from there.

[Perry]

Not sure I agree with you to be honest. I'm not sure it has any legal validity, but if it does I stand corrected.
I certainly would not agree to such a circumstance either as a tenant or landlord. That being said if others
do then so be it. For what my opinion is worth using a check meter in such a circumstance tends to indicate
that having meters is a problem for either landlord or tenant again reinforcing deeper set problems.

I think you may have a misconception of just what a check meter actually is. This is an example:



It's quite common in multiple units. We're not talking some plug-in gizmo from a hardware store. Most (if not
all) such things are installed (hard-wired) by an electrician. And no electrician is going to wire up anything
unsafe from a load perspective.

[Wayne]

I know what they are but who certifies it as reading correct?