Please help!! Calor Gas Tanks???

Sammyantha

We moved to our lovely new home (1 bed flat in a barn conversion, attached to a country farm) last week and have had nothing but worries since!

There is a calor gas tank here which powers our heating. The gas bill is split between us and the flat below (he pays more based on a larger floor plan). However, the cost is not transparent at all, and getting any info out of the landlords is like beating your head against a wall The landlord originally went through the last few top up bills with us from last year and we worked out it would cost an average of £35 pmonth, give or take.

We were told just after we moved in, that the tank had just been filled up and that we would need to pay our share which works out as £100. We have paid that today although not happy about it. Now we find out that the landlords have just had the tank completely re-filled, so we should expect another massive bill next month. From then on, we will go onto the "milk round", where the tank is simply topped up monthly, however much is needed.

So basically, we have been here 1 week so far, tenancy is 6 months, supposed cost for gas is £35 per month, yet we have paid £100 already, at least another £100 expected next month, and then presumably around £35 odd every month after that. Which means, by the time we leave in 6 months, we will have paid over £340, just for heating... heating which we haven't even used (since you pay for the tank to be filled, rather than on usage)!!!!!!!!:eek:

Spoke to Calor themselves today and explained the situation. Lady said it sounds as though we are paying well over the odds. She advised trying to find out how much the landlords pay per litre, since calor are charging them 47.9p per litre.

Tomorrow we plan to speak with citizens advice, and also to the local calor office who supply this farm so we can find out exactly how much the landlords have paid.

It's just a night mare! We love this flat and don't want to have to move, but there is no way we can afford a horrendous bill every month, especially for something we haven't even used!!!!!!

We feel very much like we're on our own here, since it seems no one else uses this bloomin antiquated system anymore. I'd really, really, REALLY appreciate any help and advise you may be able to give on this?

Incidentally, the flat also has a ridiculously old £1 coin electricity meter LMAO!!!:rotfl:

Pincher

The Hills have Eyes.

dogshome

Hi sammyantha - It appears that you have a less than professional landlord - £35 a month over a year for heating on LPG works out to £420 a year, which is fair enough on a medium size flat - Lounge, 2 beds, Kitchen & Bathroom, but, the majority of this will be spent in the Winter months, with the added problem that these % splits by gentlemans agreement never work as joint responsibility always ends up as no responsibility

Being told by the landlord that that the tank has been filled and here is your share of the bill is not good enough, you are entitled to see the bill and work out the % for yourself.

The coin operated Electricity meter has by law to have an indicator telling you the price of each Kwh consumed, the Landlord is not allowed to add profit to the Elec costs and you are allowed to check this by having sight of the suppliers bills

It it was me I would be looking for other accomodation as the the lease came up for renewal

Sammyantha

Pincher wrote: »

The Hills have Eyes.

what the...??

dogshome wrote: »

Hi sammyantha - It appears that you have a less than professional landlord - £35 a month over a year for heating on LPG works out to £420 a year, which is fair enough on a medium size flat - Lounge, 2 beds, Kitchen & Bathroom, but, the majority of this will be spent in the Winter months, with the added problem that these % splits by gentlemans agreement never work as joint responsibility always ends up as no responsibility

Being told by the landlord that that the tank has been filled and here is your share of the bill is not good enough, you are entitled to see the bill and work out the % for yourself.

The coin operated Electricity meter has by law to have an indicator telling you the price of each Kwh consumed, the Landlord is not allowed to add profit to the Elec costs and you are allowed to check this by having sight of the suppliers bills

It it was me I would be looking for other accomodation as the the lease came up for renewal

Thanks Electric meter does show the above, and judging by the last week's consumption it does work out around £1 per day which is what we were expecting. Just annoying that landlord has to come in every month to empty the coins.

Gas is another story altogether. You're right about bills. It's just ridiculous that we haven't been shown this. How do we even know if the tank really IS full??? Gah!!

Does anyone have one of these things that their heating runs off? Be great to get some costings to compare to.

Ours is a 1 bed flat, shared by 2 people - he works nights, i work days so it's almost like just having 1 person here. heating is on 1 hour morning, one hour evening, then another hour at midnight.

Pincher

It's basically the car rental empty tank out, empty tank in idea.
In his mind, he is just providing an empty tank for your use.
When you moved in, you fill the tank, like when you rent a car.
It's not his money sitting in the tank.

Old Jethro probably thinks he's really smart,
but it just inconveniences the heck out of everybody else.
Reasoning with him? hmm, good luck.

PeaterG

This stinks!

Sammy's OH here...

I have just seen a post somewhere on t'internet from some guy saying he has a 3 bed semi, wife and kids, supplied with a LPG tank and his supplier has told him he uses approx. 2000 litres per year.

At a cost of 47.9p per litre that is £958 per year... /12 months = 79.83 per month of which 1/3rd is our share = £26.61 per month (plus delivery fees + tank rental).

Soo, we've paid £100 this month, and even if, with the additional charges it added up to £40 p/month heating bill (outrageous amount for a 1 bed, 1st floor flat (with NO open windows!)) we would still not really need to pay again until the new year...

Bang out of order that they did not explain this clearly before the tenancy was signed.
Realistically though, should we, the new tenants (+ the neighbor downstairs) be responsible for filling the tank from empty as has happened here?

Apparently, what happened was that the previous tenant took the tank off of the 'milk round' and ran it dry. Then, just prior to the chap downstairs moving in, the landlords ordered a 'minimum' delivery (the very least the supplier would bring). They have also said the boiler broke down and downstairs was without hot water and heating for a period so little of the gas was used then.

That 'minimum' delivery is what this £100 we have just paid is for.

Our 'share' of a 'minimum' delivery that was made approximately 3 months before we moved in!

Now the kicker...

In this last week, they have organized for the tank to be put back on the milk round and have had the tank filled up completely. The bill for this will be coming in about 1 month's time.

I'm scared how much it will be.


CAB here we come!!!

It is a stunning place though and were it not for this (and the elec coin slot meter lol) it would be perfect :-)

PeaterG

Pincher wrote: »

It's basically the car rental empty tank out, empty tank in idea.
In his mind, he is just providing an empty tank for your use.
When you moved in, you fill the tank, like when you rent a car.
It's not his money sitting in the tank.

Old Jethro probably thinks he's really smart,
but it just inconveniences the heck out of everybody else.
Reasoning with him? hmm, good luck.

They organized the refill though...never asked permission.

Pincher

You are not on mains gas, where the supplier is willing to wait for three months before getting paid.

Somebody's £500 will have to be sitting in that tank.

If you are the kind of person who only keeps ten pounds of petrol in your car, it must drive you crazy.

£100 minimum delivery just means £100 of gas now costs £120, including delivery, whereas a £500 delivery might even be free.

Bottled gas will be even more expensive.