Shared house electricity bills problem

ozy123

I live in a shared house with one other guy. We recently received our electricity bill. Electricity units per month was around 400.

I have two problems.

Firstly I have been asked to work away from home so I leave Monday morning and return Friday afternoon. I don't think I should pay an equal amount of the bill as I'm only there really for 2-3 days.

Secondly he plays on his xbox on a 40 inch lcd tv with speaker system attached almost every day for a couple of hours. His laptop is attached to the tv and is left on standby all day. He also has another laptop and a tv in his room. I think most of the useage is him but not sure how I can prove it?

I don't use the living room, I only use my room where I have a computer and a lcd monitor. I've monitored my useage and its around 1-2.5 units a day from the computer setup.

He's quite a difficult character and thinks the bills are like the rent and I should have to pay 50/50 regardless, but I disagree. Any help or suggestions with how I should deal with this? Or a method I can use to try and figure out how to work out the bills? Thankyou!

Pink_fluff

sorry but i agree with your flat mate, You're not getting any discount your rent just because you are away all week, so why should you for electric? How would you split the bill? like what percentage would you pay and what percentage would your flat mate pay?

Cardew

Frankly this is a social problem and if he is a 'difficult character' it doesn't matter what you prove regarding usage, he is not going to agree to pay.

To a certain extent I agree with his stance, how do you apportion running expenses in a house?

Do you use more loo paper, have longer showers, deeper baths, wash clothes more often. etc etc.

If that sort of thing bothers you, move out - or get him to move out.

wacko911

What about...

Electric cooker?
Kettle?
Toaster?
Microwave?
Fridge?
Freezer?
Water pumps for heating system?
Alarm system?
Lighting?
Washing Machines?
Tumble dryer?
Iron?
Electic/power shower?
etc....

Surely you use some of these things and lots others

KimYeovil

Whilst I don't outright reject your complaint like the others this is a consequence of sharing. You pay less for rent, community charge, telephone/internet rental, standing charges, water bills, the fridge-freezer etcetera than if you were living by yourself

Yes, it's unfair and annoying if there is a disparity but in most cases this will still be much smaller than what you would pay rentiing a flat by yourself.

ozy123

I am going to be there less than 50% of the 90 day quarter... That doesn't warrant a reduction in how much I pay?

Just because its difficult to proportionate doesn't mean there isn't a case to.

As for rent, rent is a fixed value which isn't based on how much you use or how often you live there. Electricity and gas are.

I never said I didn't use anything else. The point is when I'm not around I'm using a lot less so surely I shouldn't have to pay for his usage.

You've definitely given me food for thought. I think maybe I should move out. It isn't about the amount of money, it just doesn't seem right that I'm not using and still paying.