how to approach landlord suspected of using our electric...

Sadie23

AnotherJoe wrote: »

I once left the electric immersion heater in my hot water tank switched on by mistake for close to a month. Ouch. Check that if you have one.

have a combi-boiler but had a check, no sign of having immersion (you need a tank for that too don't you? i don't have one!)

pawlala

Guest101 wrote: »

Dear landlord,


We've notice that utilities are quite high in the property. You mentioned you had use of a room downstairs and I wanted to check if this was linked to the same supply as the flat?


Many thanks


Tenant

Dear tenant,

No.

Kind regards,

Landlord

Sadie23

pawlala wrote: »

Dear tenant,

No.

Kind regards,

Landlord

this is my fear :rotfl:

Shakin_Steve

I haven't got anything to add in terms of advice, I can only tell you that we live in a four bed centrally heated end terrace. I leave the heating on 24 hours a day and my wife is never out of the bath. We have four televisions blaring out most of the evening and the oven and hob are electric.
We pay less than £100 a month, but we are on a good deal with EDF's price promise.

TheGardener

Just do the meter check - once you have proof that power is being used but not in your flat you have a starting point. No point talking about anything else until you have done that.
Also worth checking the usual suspects - a lot of halogen lights, a broken fish tank or emersion thermostat and meter check by supplier. Once you have established whether power is being used when you have everything turned off and all other causes have been investigated - then you talk to the LL.
Alternative is get an electrician to investigate the wiring.

gfplux

As others have said you now need to start checking everything.
4 flats, 4 meters hm what does that mean?

Sadie23

TheGardener wrote: »

Just do the meter check - once you have proof that power is being used but not in your flat you have a starting point. No point talking about anything else until you have done that.
Also worth checking the usual suspects - a lot of halogen lights, a broken fish tank or emersion thermostat and meter check by supplier. Once you have established whether power is being used when you have everything turned off and all other causes have been investigated - then you talk to the LL.
Alternative is get an electrician to investigate the wiring.

currently have an electrician over at the moment who is downstairs with my partner eyeing up the meters... i'll report back

Sadie23

**UPDATE**

So, electrician has been and there is a separate fuse box running off our meter in the same cupboard which is labeled along the lines of 'Shower/sockets/ect'. Electrician switched off (?) the other fuse board, and our meter turns halved in speed, along the same lines as everyone else's meter in the building.

SO, we've left it turned off - confirming that we are paying for her electric in not only this space (she owns 3 of the 4 flats) the flat below us, she has also converted that storage space into a kitchen area and our meter is also feeding that.

Now to the most awkward bit of all... how do i approach this?!

Alter_ego

Hello landlord, Your electrician has made a mistake and connected your supply to my meter.

G_M

Next step depends on the kind of person the LL is and the relationship you have.

If an approachable friendly person, then use an informal friendly approach initially and see what the response is. How often do you see her? Is there an inspection due shortly which is a conveient moment to bring it up. Use a diplomatic approach as alter ego suggests ie imply it was an oversight or mistake by electrician. If LL acknowledges this, and agrees to a refund for past overpayments, great. No animosity and problem solved.

Follow up though with a friendly but formal letter "just to recap our conversation last Xday when it came to light that I've been overpaying electricity since xxxx, we agreed that (whatever you agree)"

The alternative approach is to be formal /legalistic from the outset and send a letter (to the address provided on tenancy agreement for serving notices). Similar letter, briefly detailing the facts, estimating how much you've overpaid so far, and asking for a repayment within, say, 10 days, plus for the wiring to be changed wihin the same timeframe.