Landlords electric runs through our meter - is this allowed?

helen_n_jay

Hi everyone.

My partner and I live in a private rented house with our four children. I am a university student and my partner is currently out of work, we receive housing benefit.

Our landlord has an annexe out the back (office) which he had storage heaters put in last year. His electricity for the annexe runs through our meter and to pay his bill we give him £10 less a fortnight than the rent (£30 in winter due to the storage heaters). He had me get put on an economy 7 tariff in order to save money, I did this without realising it would cost me more.

We have an energy monitor connected to the annexe but currently he is arguing that the storage heaters are costing him an extra £10 a week, even though last years rent book states the same figures. However, the actual usage on the energy monitor is over £3.50 per day from his annexe - £25 ish a week. He didnt even tell me for 4 weeks that he had put the heaters on, obviously we knew as we were using so much more electricity and we had the monitor set up.

Is he allowed to make us pay his electricity? Is there anything we can do about it?

We are in a fair amount of debt and stupidly have Brighthouse stuff which we can't afford to replace until January and we are struggling to afford food, let alone pay over £40 a week on electric, and as the house is so poorly put together (massive gaps at windows etc) the gas is about £40 a week as well even though we can't actually afford to have the heating on. We hope to try and move in January when my student finance goes in but this is just a maybe.

Sorry for the long post, I'd be grateful for any advice.

Thank you,

Helen

theartfullodger

Disconnect him.

Alternatively YOU can put in a meter for him to PAY you for the leccy - but you can only charge him up to what it costs you.
eg..

http://www.meters.co.uk/electricitymeters.htm

Brighthouse? Arrrgggghhhhhh they should be deported somewhere cold, wet & dangerous...

Does landlord live in another building on the site??

helen_n_jay

Thanks for your reply.

Am I within my rights to switch his off if he refuses to pay me?

The problem with putting our own meter in, is affording it in the first place...

And no he lives miles away.

G_M

What does the tenancy agreement say?

* Rent per month?
* whose name are the utilities in?
* (if yours, it's up to you what tarif you use)
* if his, it's up to him to pay it....all)
* clause about utlilities?
* additional clause about his utilities?

Pixie5740

Does he pay business rates for his annexe? I doubt he does, he sounds like a chancer.

helen_n_jay

The tenancy agreement is a standard one, I believe it says as usual that I am responsible for all utilities and nothing about the annexe.

The annexe was built as a business premises and he planned to change the usage but planning permission said no, its not the first time he has tried it. There was a lady round from the council who asked me what the usage of the building was and that no business rates had been paid for that year.

Pixie5740

Use MSE's cheap energy club to find the best tariff for you. Who cares if the LL wants Economy 7 it's your electricity supply. He has a bloody cheek running his electricity from your supply.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub

How many hours a week is he in the annexe? If he's there 5 days a week with storage heaters blasting away all day during the winter I reckon he'll be using more than £30 of electricity a fortnight.

G_M

helen_n_jay wrote: »

The tenancy agreement is a standard one,
No such thing.
I believe
??! Get it out and read it if you want serious advice.
it says as usual that I am responsible for all utilities and nothing about the annexe.
in that case you have no obligation to provide electricity to the annexe. Flip the trip switch and turn it off.
(Make sure you pay the rent as specified on the tenancy agreement)

The annexe was built as a business premises and he planned to change the usage but planning permission said no, its not the first time he has tried it. There was a lady round from the council who asked me what the usage of the building was and that no business rates had been paid for that year.

What did you tell the lady...?

theartfullodger

Send him a bill and/or disconnect him.

Bet he's not declared all his rental income to tax man.

Was deposit protected within 30 days of him getting it?

Think you need to start working on moving to a property with an honest landlord.

helen_n_jay

The tenancy is very basic, it has sections for him to write details. There are no real 'clauses' etc as you would see on a contract or similar. Under additional provisions he has written "tenant responsible for all utility bills".

I told the lady from the council that it was his office premises and planning permission had already told her that was its only allowed use.

He pops in now and then, not even everyday, and has the heaters on from midnight to 7am each night on a timer.

We did not pay a deposit when we moved in. He has at least 10 properties and always has to have the rent paid to him in cash, I cannot pay it into his bank account.

G_M

Well, there's your solution then.

Sorted.

By the way, this is where you report him for tax evasion- I guarantee he is not declaring his rent to HMRC.

Or online here:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/reportingfraud/online.htm