new flat problems

darkknight84

have just moved into a studio flat this past few days, and now that I have started using the meter cards that you have to buy from the landlord; I have noticed some strange fluctuations in meter readings. for example, I used my lamp and tv last night, and the small fridge that came with the flat was plugged in. The lamp uses an energy saving bulb and the tv was in energy saving mode, around 50w per hour. Every hour or two I would check the meter because I noticed the fluctuations earlyer so decided to record the numbers every few hours. On average 1 pench was spent at an hourly rate, and to me that is fine. But without plugging anything else in, or not even so much as boiling a kettle, 20 to 30 pench is being taken, and I cannot explain how or why. Does a 5 min shower cost 20-30p, or does boiling a kettle ?

This is my second night here now, and I feel I have been taken for a mug. There's wood lice coming out of the skirting around my bedroom. Theres an infestation of cluster flies that have appeared from nowhere. The toilet wont flush properly (stopcock is dodgy) and the cistern wont stop filling with water, I have had to jerry rig a bolt holding the stopcock in place to stop the water from continuously flowing. All this and this meter makes me think that they saw me coming when I signed up for this flat.

Any helpful advice would be appreciated, thank you.

Southend1

If you have a 9kw electric shower and your electricity is charged at 14p per kWh then a 5 min shower would cost 5/60*9*.14= 10.5 pence

darkknight84

I have ran the shower while watching the meter for a number of minutes, and there has been no change in the reading?

Southend1

I've never had a prepayment meter myself but I'm guessing this could be because the balance only recalculates every so often, or every 10 units used or something like that?

harrys_dad

Why do you have to use the meter cards from the landlord? Do you have your own meter or is it shared with other flats?

somethingcorporate

I think you're being a bit paranoid here.

Cluster flies come about this time of year due to the harvests (we get a million in the loft), meters will be installed by the energy company, it won't be your landlord being dodgy. If you give the company a call they may explain how they work but as per the above updating/calculating in units makes sense to me and may explain away your paranoia.

Have you tried plugging the hole where the woodlice are coming from?

darkknight84

somethingcorporate wrote: »

I think you're being a bit paranoid here.

Cluster flies come about this time of year due to the harvests (we get a million in the loft), meters will be installed by the energy company, it won't be your landlord being dodgy. If you give the company a call they may explain how they work but as per the above updating/calculating in units makes sense to me and may explain away your paranoia.

Have you tried plugging the hole where the woodlice are coming from?

You may be right, but I am no electrician. This is my first flat and im on a budget. I expected my monthly electricity expense to be no more than £25. But averaging the 24 hour charges, it comes in at around £1.25 per day, multiply that by the average ammount of days in a month, and im looking at paying around £40. I know most of you maybe see £40 as cheap compared to your energy bills. But like I said, im on a budget, and I only use a 50w tv for 3 hours a day. A low energy lamp for 8 hours a day, boil 3 kettles a day. And take one 5 minute shower per day. All this for £40 seems excessive, especially as my assumption of £25 was based on extensive research before I made the move.

As for the fly problem, hopefully that will resolve soon.

And the wood lice are popping out of the skirting board from all sides of the large room (wood panel floor)

dirty_magic

You do know that electricity meters charge a standing charge per day too on top of what you actually use? You'll have to budget for that too. £25 per month seems like a very low estimate to me, even for a studio flat. Do you have electric heating? Don't underestimate how much your bills will rise in winter if so.

Owain_Moneysaver

Your landlord is not allowed to charge you more for electricity than it costs him. The meter also has to be of a type approved by OFGEM for energy resale.

CAB guidance

darkknight84

dirty_magic wrote: »

You do know that electricity meters charge a standing charge per day too on top of what you actually use? You'll have to budget for that too. £25 per month seems like a very low estimate to me, even for a studio flat. Do you have electric heating? Don't underestimate how much your bills will rise in winter if so.

No I didn't realise there was a standing charge for a meter, I will have to look into that. Thanks for the heads up.

I was told heating is inclusive with the rent, and that the the radiators become active during winter. The hot water in the two hot water taps (toilet/kitchen) only go hot when the cord is pulled next to the shower. I always leave it switched off and use the cold water to wash my hands etc.

darkknight84

harrys_dad wrote: »

Why do you have to use the meter cards from the landlord? Do you have your own meter or is it shared with other flats?

The meter is in the flat, and the maintenance man comes round the flats and sells them. £5 each. No markings except a number 5 on the front, and an electronic brown strip at the back.