Price per unit on coin meter

richardc1983

My landlord has electric coin meters installed in my flat, he has just been round today to alter the price on them due to the 20% increase. Now we have just worked out that for every £1 coin we put in we get 5.6units of electricity (assuming thats 5.6kw of electric). There is a dial that indicated what the meter is set at you see.

Now he says he doesnt make anything out of these meters and its only for convenience so he doesnt have to chase tennants for bills.

Can you tell me roughly how much based on the 20% price increases how much 5.6 units of electricity costs?

I have tried to find this information online but cannot and I do not know who supplies the electricity here? Only that he said its gone up 20%, I want to work out if were getting ripped off!

Thank you.

Cardew

Firstly, Landlords are not allowed to make a profit from coin meters.

Secondly it is not possible to answer your question about the costs unless we know the company and area of UK.

He is charging approx 18p a unit(kWh).

Now that is a reasonable price for Tier 1* electricity but very high for Tier 2.
Obviously, depending on your consumption, you should pay a price somewhere between the two tiers.

* Companies charge between 125kWh and 225kWh a quarter at a high price(called Tier 1) and the rest at a lower price(Tier 2)

Depend on how much electricty is used on the account(all flats) should determine how much is charged at Tier 2.

It sounds to me like you are paying over the odds. You can ask to see the bills and work it out.

Dreamnine

I use about 5-6 kwh of electricity a day; my last bill for a quarter was £60. This works out at around £4.90 a week.

It will vary depending on your area and supplier, but prepay anything always costs more.

I think Cardew is right. How many pound coins are you having to put in?

richardc1983

We perhaps are paying over the odds, there are 4 flats in this terraced house I was just wanting a rough price. He doesnt charge us at a tier 2 price or anything its all at approx 17.8p a unit. He wont let us see his bills I dont think but I was just wanting to make sure that 17.8p a unit because I dont know how he would charge us on TIER2 anyway considering we buy 5.6units with each coin the meter doesnt work out Tier 2.

richardc1983

Dreamnine wrote: »

I use about 5-6 kwh of electricity a day; my last bill for a quarter was £60. This works out at around £4.90 a week.

It will vary depending on your area and supplier, but prepay anything always costs more.

I think Cardew is right. How many pound coins are you having to put in?

Were on sub meters so all money into the meter goes to the landlord so he can set it at what he wants.

To get 5.6kw of electricity we put 1 x £1 coin in. Before he put it up we were using about £1 a day now were probably looking at £1.50 to get the same ammount of electricity we were before.

Dreamnine

He is making money from you then.

I'm old enough to remember the old meters that had a large revolving dial. We had an unscrupulous landlord and I used to stick in a needle attached to a thread to stop the thing. Not suggesting you do anything illegal, but he should be challenged. Living is expensive these days.

richardc1983

Ive probably wrote that wrong.

We now put in a £1 to get 5.6units of electric whereas before we put a £1 in and got probablty 8.5 units of electricity.

So im wondering if the increase now reflects the 20% he says hes been increased on his main bill.

Dreamnine

That sounds like more than 20% Ask again to see his bills.

richardc1983

I expect we pay a little more as we get it charged all at the same rate i wouldnt have expected us to be charged 17.8p per unit now though cos on his main bill he will get it charged at 2 rates wont he. He wont let us see his bills and i dont want to cause bother with him.

How do i stop the meter lol with a large magnet!!

Dreamnine

I know what you mean about not wanting to cause bother with him, but, as Cardew says, it's illegal for him to be making any profit this way. I wouldn't be happy about putting coins in a meter. Anything you do is going to involve confronting him in some way.

richardc1983

Yeh but I moved in with full knowledge of this when i moved in that it was on a coin meter he hasnt just introduced it i wonder if anyone else on here has this type of meter.