Anyone help with coin meter?

awhileaway

I live in a 2 bedroom flat and we are on a card payment scheme with British Gas for our gas supply, but our electric is in the form of a coin meter.
I have lived here now for 2 years and have never in that time seen a bill to state how much my usage was or what I owe.
Landlord comes in when needed, empties the coin meter and then leaves. My landlord should be on some type of T.V show about Rogue Landlords, (that's an entirely different thread!)
When I refused once to let him empty the coin meter on the grounds I wanted to see the bill, to which he refused, he left me with no electric in my flat so I had no choice but to let him in and empty the box.
Now I know I pay to much in electric, as I'm paying above £30 a week to keep us going. Which makes me mad as if the bill is only £50 and there is £100 in the box, he pockets what ever is left. And even if I paid the exact amount, I want a bill to state that.
The main electric box is in a flat upstairs and he powers other flats of that one box. I'm at a loss of what to do, who to turn to and what my rights are.
I moaned about the mould and he said if I did again he would kick me out. I'm tired and stuck in a situation that I cannot see me getting through

joeblack9

Thats a landlords meter i would take advice from cab as only electric suppliers can charge for for electric .if the landlord is charging you more for the electric than he is being charged then that is illegal.

[Deleted User]

you can easily work out exactly how much per kwhr you are paying by watching how meter units you use and how much you pay for it.Over a week you would get a correct pence per kwhr price.electric is easy as one unit on the meter equals one kwhr. Factor in a daily standing charge plus 5 % vat. For comparison of what you should be paying you need to find out the suppliers prepayment electric meter kwhr rate ( its 13.2 p/kwhr with BG inc vat in s.yorks ) then add the daily standing charge per day. So a days electric , say,10 units on the meter would be £1.32 plus 26 p dsc if it was with an official Landys and Gyr prepay meter. A week at 10 units a day would be £11.56 p inc £1.82 standing charge.So if for 70 units you are not paying too much more than £11.50 you are not being overcharged
Its no good looking at the L/Ls bill because it will have his usage on it as well as yours as he s using a linked sub meter. He should be charging exactly the same price per kwhr as he is paying.If hes not hes breaking the law

SwanJon

awhileaway wrote: »

My landlord should be on some type of T.V show about Rogue Landlords, (that's an entirely different thread!) ...
I moaned about the mould and he said if I did again he would kick me out. I'm tired and stuck in a situation that I cannot see me getting through

AS well as CAB, it's worth speaking to Shelter (http://england.shelter.org.uk/what_we_do_/contact_us)
As it sounds like if you do challenge him on the electricity he'll move towards trying to get you out.
Have a look at the Buying, Renting, Selling board on here too.


If you want to back up the overcharging of electricity, here's OFGEM's pages on it:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/resale-gas-and-electricity-guidance-maximum-resale-price-updated-october-2005

misterbarlow

Ask the l/l for the kwh rate he is charging you (or check the coin meter for its kwh setting) and ask to see his bill to what he is paying!!
If he evades in any way, he is profiting from you on the electric and is a scumlord, and I advise moving out asap..

undaunted

Contact your local council for help & advice. Landlord can't just kick you out or profit from electricity in this manner. See http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/private_renting/problems_with_renting/complaints_about_private_landlords

slenderkitten

i would get in contact with:

citizens advice,
council
ask the supplier if the meter can be changed.