Annex electric metering

lepp88gold

Morning all, question for any one who may know. 

Elderly mum lives in annex at bottom of garden, water and electric connected via the main house.

Bills as they are for everyone now, mum wants to make sure she is paying her way. 

Does anyone know it there is a meter / pay as you go meter that can be fitted to give her accurate usege  or something so she can pay and top up for her own use.

Many thanks ...

pete-20-11

Google energy monitor with CT clamp / CT clip

I think owl and Hildebrand are commonly used but plenty of choice out there. 

It would need to be clipped around the live OR neutral cable, not both. So if there's somewhere you can do that, perhaps in a consumer unit if there's a separate one in the annex. 

Alternatively tell her to not worry about the cost, if you can afford it, as presumably you didn't contribute to the electric or other costs for the first 18 ISH years of your life? 😀

lohr500

An electrician may be able to fit something like this to the consumer unit in the annex : 

https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/1781553-45a-single-phase-kwh-meter-din-rail-mounting-with-lcd-display-single-module

Or a meter like this between the incoming supply to the annex and the consumer unit : 

https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/4326507-1-phase-100a-mid-approved-meter

Neither would allow your mum to pay directly for the electricity she is using, but you could take a monthly or quarterly reading and calculate the cost using your rate per kWh, plus a proportion of the standing charge if she insists!

You can also get pre-pay type meters that landlords use to charge tenants, but personally I think that would be over the top and possibly too complicated for your mum to have to manage.   

Scot_39

Read likes of

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/money-mentor/income-budgeting/family-finance/starting-family-baby-costs

Compare that to likely bill for heating a small annex.

lohr500

If the OP's mum is anything like my parents, she will want to pay her way out of a sense of pride and doing the right thing. 

The cost or affordability are possibly not the main issues and refusing to accept anything from her might cause her worry and anxiety which contribute to failing health.

So I don't think we should judge the wisdom of charging her or not. That has to be a decision for the OP.  

MultiFuelBurner

Lot of judgement and moral stance going on in this thread about what the OP should do.

It reads to me like mum wants to pay her way and this will make her feel better.

The OP made that pretty clear so the moral high ground is not required as I see it on this thread.

As others have said a CT clamp 

Robin9

Why not take a simple approach ? If there are 3 of you inc her then she pays 1/3   - ditto water, council tax ..............