Shared house & heating disputes...

garfield33

Last night she came into the lounge and said "oh my goodness it's freezing in here!".
The thermometer said 26.5 degrees... I was so warm I was getting tachycardia!

garfield33

Hi MSE-ers, this problem has come back.
Earlier this year we had a house meeting, and we talked about how we all need to keep our energy usage down as the landlord had made noises about putting up the rent to cover the bills (which he'd be in his rights to do) or getting a fourth person in when there isn't really the space. She didn't seem all that interested in the discussion, and we didn't press her too much as she can be quite sensitive and it would have looked like we were ganging up on her.
Anyway, with the warmer weather there hadn't been so many problems with the heating.

HOWEVER... we had the landlord's girlfriend staying with us for a few weeks while she was between jobs and flats, so she was around during the day when me and the other housemate were at work. She noticed that the 'problem' housemate likes to use the tumble dryer a LOT - which to me is a luxury that you use for the occasional fluffy towel or when you desperately need something dry! She also seems to do a lot of washing in general - we think she will literally only wear things once. We haven't said anything to her yet about this, but it seems unfair if our rent goes up because of her decadent laundry habits.

Last weekend when the temperature did drop, the landlord's girlfriend got home to find the heating on, windows open but no one in (in August??!?!). She said the house was like a furnace. She turned the heating off, and when the housemate got back a few minutes later she just commented 'by the way, I've turned off the heating because it was so warm'. House mate then went off on one, complaining abuot how the house is rubbish and always so cold and badly decorated (it's not), and how we keep turning the heating off... now this doesn't seem the wisest thing to say to the landlord's gf. Especially when you haven't even gone the effort of putting warm clothes on before cranking the heating up.

So on the down-side, we clearly haven't got through to her, and I am dreading raising the subject again when the weather turns cold.

But on the upside, the landlord's gf has kept him updated on the situation, and he has (unofficially) said that if the rent does go up, he will put hers up more on account of her extra usage

HappyMJ

A) Kick her out.
You move out.

newcook

I'd replace the house mate with the LL's girlfriend!!

garfield33

We have tried 'pushing' her towards other homes ("oh look at this lovely flat up for rent"), but she can't afford to rent on her own and isn't keen to move in with strangers again.
Hopefully I am moving out in the next couple of months to give cohabitation a go with the OH, but that doesn't solve the problem for the nice housemate who gets left behind, or the poor planet with her raging energy use!

I would love for the LL's gf to stay, she was fab. Sadly for us she has moved onto bigger and better things.

yvonne13_2

Is she working yet?

claire16c

At least your landlord will be charging her more.

I cant believe anyone would have put the heating on recently! And I really feel the cold. I had to put a long sleeve top on one day last week in the evening which was a first for a while as it was rather cold last Monday. But didnt need heating!

Anyway its supposed to be 27C tomorrow so atleast she wont be putting it on then - or hopefully not anyway!

garfield33

She has a part time job (afternoons) which is something but no sign of anything more yet. She was trying to borrow money off her sister for a holiday a few days ago so I don't think she's exactly flush.

I think I'm mostly using this forum as a chance to vent - friends and work colleagues are bored of hearing about it! So thank you for reading!