Electricity bill liability - tenant, landlord or agent?

Felics

Hi

So I have a bit of a situation.

I recently moved into a rented flat and when I moved in I noticed very quickly the water was extremely hot - to the point it was coming out boiling from the tap.

I contacted the managing agent to let them know. As they were sending over a separate contractor for some general repairs, they mentioned that I should also ask him if he could find out what the issue RE the water was - and if he could repair.

I did this but the contractor noted I needed a specialist to identify the problem.

Fast forward 6 weeks, I noticed the immersion switch behind the boiler was turned on.

Not knowing know anything about water heating and boilers, I did a quick google search which showed the immersion heater should be used sparingly and so I turned this off. Quickly putting two and two together I realised this was the reason the water was extremely hot.

I contacted my Energy provider who noted that in that 6 week period cc400kw of energy had been used.

This had lead to a large bill of c£300.

Naturally I think this is unfair as I was unaware this had been left on and assumed that all electric switches etc. should have been turned off before the property was let to me.

I contacted the managing agent to explain this and (unsurprisingly) she said there was nothing they could do and I’ll have to pay the bill.

My question is do I have anything that I can do to avoid paying this?

I appreciate it may be equally be unfair for the landlord to foot the bill as I believe it may have been the inventory clerk who had left the switch on when finalising the inventory check.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

babyblade41

You are responsible for your own bills from the date of your tenancy agreement ..simple as ..

davidmcn

Your flat, your switches.

G_M

Ignorance (of the law, or of household management) is no excuse.

Neither your landlord nor his agent are responsible for your electricity usage.

True, a pro-active helpful landlord provides a 'property pack' explaining how various aspects of the property work, to assist new tenants, but there is no legal requirement to do this.

It is the tenant's responsibility.

The landlord does have a duty to ensure that the heating and water systems are properly functional - but it seems in this case they are.

do I have anything that I can do to avoid paying this?

Yes. Cancel your direct debit or standing order to the electricity supplier. But anticipate consequences......

Finchy2018

Did the contractor not look at the boiler and spot the switch?

Regardless the only one liable is you unfortunately.

I don't think it would be the inventory clerk, they don't test heating/hot water/washing machines etc.

colesy

If it’s genuinely coming out ‘nearly boiling’, you have a problem with the immersion heater’s thermostat. Typically in old systems there’s just one stat and if it fails the water can become excessively hot.

ToasterScheme

colesy wrote: »

If it’s genuinely coming out ‘nearly boiling’, you have a problem with the immersion heater’s thermostat. Typically in old systems there’s just one stat and if it fails the water can become excessively hot.

^^This.

'Nearly boiling' is a safety issue, so landlord has an obligation to fix the problem that's evidently allowing the immersion to run continuously. But this is only to prevent injury to you, not to prevent excessive power usage - that boat has sailed I think.

macman

400kWh of leccy would cost about £48, not £300, assuming around 12p per kWh. So the vast bulk of your bill is not for the immersion heater!
If the 'stat has failed and the tank is near-boiling then that is a serious safety issue and must be fixed as a priority-do not use it in the meantime. Once fixed, you can leave it on 24/7: a properly lagged tank will lose very little heat, and any that does escape serves to warm the property in winter anyway.

ToasterScheme

macman wrote: »

400kWh of leccy would cost about £48, not £300, assuming around 12p per kWh. So the vast bulk of your bill is not for the immersion heater!
If the 'stat has failed and the tank is near-boiling then that is a serious safety issue and must be fixed as a priority-do not use it in the meantime. Once fixed, you can leave it on 24/7: a properly lagged tank will lose very little heat, and any that does escape serves to warm the property in winter anyway.

^^Agree with all this.
Especially "do not use it in the meantime". But, similarly, do not accept this as an excuse for your landlord to NOT fix it at all. Even if you don't plan to use the immersion at all, it's dangerous.

Heliflyguy

macman wrote: »

Once fixed, you can leave it on 24/7: a properly lagged tank will lose very little heat, and any that does escape serves to warm the property in winter anyway.

The Op mentioned a boiler so if they have gas water heating then no need to switch it on at all.