Charging a lodger for use of expensive to run appliances

BitterAndTwisted

EIGHT loads of laundry in one week? Either she's doing someone else's or she's washing one garment at a time.

What I'd do is to warn her that should the next quarter's utility bills come in at over 25% more than before she moved in then she will be expected to make an additional contribution towards them.

This is one of the main reasons why, when I had a lodger a long time ago, utility bills were not included in the rent. If you think things are worrying now just wait until the cold weather: she'll probably have the heating on at a sub-tropical setting 24/7

gizmo111

I have no idea how much a tumble drier costs to run, but my 17 year old daughter loves using it! I now charge her £3 per load if she is using it when it would be possible to dry clothes on the line outside - she doesnt use it half as much as she used to:p

poppysarah

Please if you are worried about an old appliance being a fire risk at night then it's a fire risk all the time. Put a smoke detector in the room with it AND buy a new one asap

The cheapest one at argos uses Energy consumption: 1.86kWh per cycle based on dry cotton cycle for 140 minute timer.

So depends on how much your electricity is how much it costs.

If she's doing excessive washing you need to discuss that too.

jennifernil

princess_loki wrote: »

it is sunny outside today so i have turned the tumble dryer off and asked her to put the washing outside - 3 loads today.

like someone else said she must be doing someone elses washing.

that will be about 8 loads this week - crazy!!!

not only that but discovered yesterday that she is putting it on for the full 140 minutes - only takes 60 mins on hot to dry a load!!!!!!!!!

How can one person have that much washing?!

Not only is she running up the electricity bills, she is wearing out your washing machine!

Time for a serious chat I think.

shell_girl

My lodger used to be like this. I had no probs whatsoever with him using the tumble drier if it was needed... but he used to stuff it full on hot/windy days and just let it run. It was ancient and not that efficient so used to cost a bomb.

I'd only ever used it for an emergency pair of jeans etc before work, so it did make a big difference to the bills. Then I noticed that that he was washing stuff/ drying it when it hadn't actually been worn :rotfl: I'm not a clothes stalker honest :rotfl:but I did empty the tumble and put it in a pile for him... then I noticed it was two days later and I was folding the same 14+ t shirts!!

I gave it away... problem solved

LydiaJ

Jowo wrote: »

The OP doesn't mention if the lodger is using the washing machine too or is merely warming up their clothes or too lazy to iron dry clothes...

I've always wondered how tumble dryers and irons compare on energy consumption. Does anyone know?

I find if I tumble my kids' school polo shirts for 10 min on cool, and then hang them, I can get away without ironing them. It saves time, and I've always thought it probably wasn't using any more than the iron would have used anyway, but I don't actually know.

I can see that 140min on hot is a very different case, though.

Note to self: must get energy monitor.

getmore4less

Just get rid of the dryer.

Not had one in our house, been there 12 years.

Jowo_2

Get rid of the lodger and the tumble-drier.

DKLS

Get a new more efficient dryer, I couldn't live without mine rain or shine.

g_attrill

I don't understand why people are calling the OP a scrooge - I do one load of clothes a week and one load of sheets/towels. I can understand a female or a clean-freak using it a bit more, but a load of washing and drying every day will cost a lot more than anybody could reasonably factor into a lodger's rent.

It's possible that they are poor at planning and are washing and drying a single set of clothes, but if it's full loads they must be doing it for friends, or are very messy for some other reason!