Shared house & heating disputes...

garfield33

Hi MP-ers

I live in a shared house with two other women. One of them lost her job last month so is at home most of the day.

I think the house is quite warm, and would be happy to just have the heating on a few hours a day (even in the recent cold weather it heats up well). However this other lady is constantly cold, and wants to have the central heating on 24/7, and sometimes brings out the electric heater too.

(The third lady is somewhere between the two of us and just wants a quiet, warm life).

For some reason, there isn’t a thermostat in the house, the only options are heating on or heating off. We can adjust individual radiators, which is how I stop my bedroom from being a sauna, but when I turn any others down, she turns them straight back up again.

I’ve tried setting the timer on the boiler to be ‘on’ more often (though not overnight) but most days when I get in from work, it’s been set to override. She claims that she doesn’t understand the timer (it’s a clock dial, and you push in the times you want, very simple), I’ve explained it but she just isn’t interested.

We don’t pay the bills ourselves – it comes out of the rent we pay to the landlord. However in our tenancy contracts, he has the right to raise our rent if the bills go up to cover the costs, which is fair enough. So I’m worried that he freak out when he gets the next bill and increase all of our rents, even though it’s only one person who has caused the massive increase. And then it wouldn’t go down again and we'll go on paying the increased rent.

I don’t want to have a big fight with this lady (I’ve had crazy housemates before and I’ve been enjoying the peace of this house), but neither do I want my rent to go up because of her.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, any advice? I know it’s a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but money-saving is important – I’m trying to save up for the future and I know money is tight for her without a job at the moment.

melancholly

been there.... couldn't find an easy solution. i didn't think it was sensible to turn on heating over three floors and then go out, just to try and dry laundry.... i didn't want to pay for that!

maybe formally sit down and try and come to a compromise. perhaps have some radiators turned off and set the timer. if all three of you talk about it, that would help.

it has also been much colder than normal lately, so to a point, it's understandable! maybe buy her a warm dressing gown for Christmas? we didn't come to a great conclusion, but the person who kept turning the heating on and forgetting moved out (their behaviour in many ways wasn't great for shared living - this was just one other way that they behaved).... so i feel your pain and hope someone else is more use!

ema_o

Does this lady know the landlord will increase the rent if the useage goes up? I suspect he will just charge you the difference if he gets a much bigger than usual gas / electric bill.
If she's not aware definitely talk to her about that. Otherwise, other than discussions there isn't much you can do (apart from move out). Lived with someone who used a fan heater in the past and I was very glad to get out of that house share.

Only other thing I would do is provide readings for your gas / electric to the companies - that will let the landlord get an accurate rather than estimated bill, and may make any increase come sooner rather than later, and this might shock her into realising heating isn't free. Not ideal as obviously you don't want an increase, but might be the point to talk to the landlord about reducing it again when you get your useage back to more normal levels.

HappyMJ

Take some meter readings and estimate the usage then tell the landlord. If she's willing to put in an extra £10-£20 per week to cover her usage during the day that would be a reasonable compromise. I've had lodgers in before who think it's normal to put the heating on then go out. Argghhh they aint paying the bills. I am so my rules apply. My rules are very simple. Heating on no more than 21 when in. All lodgers must be professional therefore at work during the day with heating off and then reduced to 16 at night. Does she realise how much more this costs and her rent would only just cover the heating at this time of year. I'm assuming you are using about £8-£10 per day to keep heating on max 24/7 with electric supplementary heating as well.

I'm with you on this gets me annoyed as well.

System

One time i shared one girl insisted on having the heating on and an extra heater, our solution was that she pay extra towards the bills.

puppypants

Why can't she stay in her own room with the heating on as high as she likes, but all the other radiators turned down to a more acceptable level for yourself and the other person. She then would be liable to pay the extra charges. Or is this a silly idea?

Person_one

puppypants wrote: »

Why can't she stay in her own room with the heating on as high as she likes, but all the other radiators turned down to a more acceptable level for yourself and the other person. She then would be liable to pay the extra charges. Or is this a silly idea?

How are you going to work out what percentage of the bill was for 'her' electricity? Minefield.

I say if there are no other problems, and you've found housemates with whom this is the only sticking point, and you can afford to pay a little extra on your heating bill (most of us will be this winter) then just let it go. Try to remind yourself of some of the worse housemates you've had!

garfield33

Yes she does know that the rent could go up. I like the idea of an extra one off payment - if the landlord does mention the increased use I might try to persuade him towards that, but we'd have to convince him that the bills will go down again, and with her additional love of the tumble dryer that may not happen... but that's another story! (wow i sound stingey... I'm really not!)

I'm more boggled at the fact that the lounge can be so warm that I'm in a t-shirt, then she comes in, says "oh my god it's freezing in here" and pops an electric heater on. I am tempted to buy a room thermometer, but that may not be the best way to resolve things. Or refer her to a GP to see if she has hypothyroidism.

If she was working, I might have asked her to pay some extra, but I wouldn't do that while she's unemployed.

Thanks also for the "Try to remind yourself of some of the worse housemates you've had" - so true!! Oh the anecdotes I've got from two in particular... random men turning up and shouting their name through the kitchen window at 6am on a Sunday morning, leaving the back door of our ground floor flat unlocked all weekend, leaving berries on the kitchen floor for me to tread on, accusing me of stealing their 38G bra (if only), using DVDs as coasters...

Bloomin_Freezing2

Nip down to poundland and buy her a dozen hot water bottles as an xmas pressie, then tweak something with the heating so it won't come on.

yvonne13_2

Hang on, heating on all day! electric heater running! tumble dryer running! is this the woman without a job? I hope it's not cause your rent is going to shoot through the roof.

Why are people so selfish? if that was me I would just walk around the house with my duvet wrapped around me.

yvonne13_2

garfield33 wrote: »

If she was working, I might have asked her to pay some extra, but I wouldn't do that while she's unemployed....

Pray she gets a job soon then cause whilst the money is not coming direct from her wages why will she give a rat's behind if your and your other housemate pays extra on a perm basis to keep her nice and warm.