Small flat, huge bills!

vincent2017

merchcon55 wrote: »

Your test that showed 2KW usage overnight is suspect - besides the refrigerator, what else in your flat is actually ON during the overnight hours?

While items on standby should be using very very little power, you may want to try unplugging all TVs, freeview boxes, routers, anything that might draw power overnight. The exception being your refrigerator and boiler - keep those on as normal.

You may need to do this experiment for several evenings - but if you find that you are consistently using 2KW every evening between 11pm-6am (for example), with everything unplugged EXCEPT fridge and boiler - then you have real proof that something is not right.

So depending what size fridge you have you can estimate what your real overnight kW usage is - if everything else is unplugged, then anything over that is usage you are paying for, but not using !!

Thanks for this. All I can think of that's on overnight is the combi boiler which draws a little power in standby, plus the Nest Smart Thermostat and the clock on the oven and microwave. Everything else is off.

vincent2017

Gnergy refuse to send someone out, or correct the meters on the system, until Flat A have also done a test.

What bullsh1t!!!!!!!!!

matelodave

It cant be everos hard to check which meter is connected to which fusebox - just follow the big fat cables that come out of the meter. The meter that's connected to your fusebox should be the one that spins and that's on your bills.

If it's not then shut off the fusebox on the meter that you are paying for to motivate the flat occupier to get it sorted out

CashStrapped

I think the consumer units are in the flats and the meters are in the hall @matelodave

Sometimes it is impossible to trace the cables.

At least we got there eventually.

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Remember @vincent

The other flat needs to be made aware. They also need to check their meters and ensure they are paying for the correct one. They need to do this at the same time otherwise it will never be properly sorted.

vincent2017

The consumer unit is the thing with the switches that I used yesterday to turn the power off?

If so they're all in the communal hallway, to the right of the meters.

vincent2017

Am I robbing myself if I don't ask Gnergy for a rebate for these past few years? Could be quite a bit....

CashStrapped

Yes, the consumer unit is the thing with all the switches.

So...do the cables from from the switches that control your flat go to the meter you have always been using or to the meter you now think is yours?

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As per my step by step guide earlier.....you may be due a refund but you have to be methodical about it , see post 55 where I detail how you should go about rectifying the situation.

It must be done in tandem with all other flat occupants.

You need to each confirm which meter corresponds to which flat.

If you do this on your own, it will end up a mess.

merchcon55

Without knowing how well you get on with the people in your neighbouring flat, they may or may not be cooperative in helping you out. At the moment, they are benefiting at your expense. You should at first try your best to explain to your neighbour what is happening. Try to have figures at hand say for the past year. Then ask them if they can show you their bills for the same period.

If they are reasonable people, see if you can come to an arrangement where they pay you back for the electricity they used, and you paid for.

How long a period have you been living in your flat? How long a period have the tenants in the other flat been there? I think it may be near impossible to recover any funds from PREVIOUS tenant(s) who have lived in the flat where you have been paying the electricity.

But recovering funds from the CURRENT tenant - if they are reasonable, can be sorted very easily. If they choose to be "difficult", there may be legal remedies you can take to recover funds.

Best of luck with all this !!

mags21

If the neighbours are uncooperative can you not start increasing your (their) electricity usage, that might prompt them to resolve the matter?

grumpycrab

vincent2017 wrote: »

This morning I turned on the hoover, handheld hoover, lava lamp, fan, vegetable steamer, oven, microwave, kettle, lamps, lights, laptops, phones, and anything else electrical I could find.

Then watched the meters.

And the one that was turning was.... drumroll.... The other meter!!

You could leave them all on then... :T
Bad timing though - its warmed up today :cool: