VAT on electricity on a marina mooring

PasturesNew

Do you need it? If I felt disgruntled I'd take the opportunity to get round to investigating full solar/wind independence.

twhitehousescat

move boat under owners bedroom window and start engine to generate lights and power

matelodave

Pogo1234 wrote: »

There are about 8 'residential' boats and the rest not. We use about 3 units a day which should be quite cheap but isn't. Apparently we are supposed to be able to ask to see what our marina owner pays herself, but in practice if we did that we'd be told to leave. Which isn't at all fair as it's our right.

In the end it's really up to you - you can complain and see waht comes of it and even invoke Trading Standards to try and enforce it etc but the owner doesn't have to let you stay in the the marina and could turf you out.

If you really dont like it get a generator or run your engine.

It isn't fair but who has the the most to lose out of having a confrontation. I guess that the owner wont give way if it's going to be easy enough to fill your berth with another boat but what will you do.
Is the cost of berthing reasonable or extortionate, perhaps there's a trade off with berthing cost verus leccy cost. You could go somewhere else and pay less for leccy but more for berthing.

Pogo1234

She's recently put the mooring costs up too. We have both gennie and engine of course, but fuel costs are not low to run those. You'd expect electricity to be cheaper.
You're right about us having a lot to lose, but that seems so wrong that someone can do something that seems illegal and because we're scared we can do nothing about it.
I guess the electricity in total for the marina is probably well over 33 units a day. So not sure if our 3 a day would count as under 33 or not?
Also, the VAT number is not registered to this marina but to one of her other businesses apparently. Not sure about the legality of charging VAT from a quite different business for one of your others.

matelodave

As I said, you don't have to stay there so try finding somewhere else thats cheaper.

Would you be happier if the owner reduced the leccy cost and increased the marina fees to compensate. In the end it's a sellers market and it's up to you whether put up with it or move.

Go and have a word with Trading Standard if you really feel strongly about it but be prepared to be turfed out. I'm not condoning what is going on but the owner really doesn't have to let you stay there and can charge whatever the market will stand.

Andy_WSM

Pogo1234 wrote: »

Also, the VAT number is not registered to this marina but to one of her other businesses apparently. Not sure about the legality of charging VAT from a quite different business for one of your others.

Nothing wrong with this at all. It's entirely up to the owner how they run their business and if that means putting all income and expenditure through one business to make operating costs more bearable then that's up to them.

You're still ignoring the fact that these are not residential moorings - i.e. you don't pay council tax on them. You can't have it both ways. Move somewhere that IS residential moorings and enjoy paying council tax and slightly cheaper electricity costs or stay where you are and put up with higher electricity costs, which are likely MUCH less than any council tax bill!

btr30

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Nothing wrong with this at all. It's entirely up to the owner how they run their business and if that means putting all income and expenditure through one business to make operating costs more bearable then that's up to them.

You're still ignoring the fact that these are not residential moorings - i.e. you don't pay council tax on them. You can't have it both ways. Move somewhere that IS residential moorings and enjoy paying council tax and slightly cheaper electricity costs or stay where you are and put up with higher electricity costs, which are likely MUCH less than any council tax bill!

The Marina may use a different company name to invoice you for electricity, but at your consumption level the VAT rate should only be charged at 5%, regardless of the VAT rate applied to the primary meter.