Paying Neighbours Electricity Bill
Guerillatoker
Posts: 625 Forumite
New to this side of MSE, hopefully I have the right sub-forum. I'm posting on behalf of a family member who isn't the most confident or clued up on these matters.
She runs a beauty salon on the ground floor of a 2-storey building. When she first let the premises there were no tenants above. At some point a bar was opened above her. They have separate tenancies with the landlord who owns the freehold.
The bar's electricity is being ran off of a "sub-meter" to hers, which apparently means that their electricity bill is shared and she is supposed to seek recompense from the upstairs tenant herself, as advised by landlord/landlord's electrician. There is nothing in the tenancy agreement about this. This sounds bonkers to me but I've never let business premises.
The issue is the upstairs tenant uses much more electricity, 5-10x that of my family member. She is liable for the totalled electricity bills and her business simply does not turnover enough to cover them, even temporarily. The upstairs tenant hasn't been particularly forthcoming with paying his share though the other week handed her a cheque stating "that should cover it" (it doesn't) - I told her she shouldn't have accepted it due to the informality and impact if she needs to seek legal action, but I only learnt after the fact.
Can anyone advise if this is legitimate? Is someone being naughty or not giving her truthful information?
How can she go about separating their electricity supplies?
Should she seek civil action to recover the costs / create an agreement sooner rather than later?
She runs a beauty salon on the ground floor of a 2-storey building. When she first let the premises there were no tenants above. At some point a bar was opened above her. They have separate tenancies with the landlord who owns the freehold.
The bar's electricity is being ran off of a "sub-meter" to hers, which apparently means that their electricity bill is shared and she is supposed to seek recompense from the upstairs tenant herself, as advised by landlord/landlord's electrician. There is nothing in the tenancy agreement about this. This sounds bonkers to me but I've never let business premises.
The issue is the upstairs tenant uses much more electricity, 5-10x that of my family member. She is liable for the totalled electricity bills and her business simply does not turnover enough to cover them, even temporarily. The upstairs tenant hasn't been particularly forthcoming with paying his share though the other week handed her a cheque stating "that should cover it" (it doesn't) - I told her she shouldn't have accepted it due to the informality and impact if she needs to seek legal action, but I only learnt after the fact.
Can anyone advise if this is legitimate? Is someone being naughty or not giving her truthful information?
How can she go about separating their electricity supplies?
Should she seek civil action to recover the costs / create an agreement sooner rather than later?
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Comments
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I would find out which fuse feeds the sub meter and remove it. Even if she has to pay a sparkie to do the job.
If that is not possible, she might want to seek legal advice about the issue.0 -
If its a sub meter there should be a switch to turn off the supply.
Suggest you make use of it.0 -
It is bonkers. Your friend should consult her electricity provider for advice. How does your friend know what this "sub-meter" is recording? It has not been put in by the electricity company and you have only the landlords electrician's word that it is connected to all the bar's circuits.
I once had a flat over a commercial premises and discovered that the commercial premises' kitchen was hooked up to my circuit and for two years I had been paying for their electricity for their washing machine, kettle and heater etc. The landlord owned the business in the commercial premises and was getting his tenants in the upstairs flat to pay for a chunk of their electricity and apparently was doing it for years. I confronted the landlord and got him to pay up and then left.
The OP's friend's case is slightly different, but my example demonstrates that it is all too easy for electricity in a building with several tenants to be connected in such a way to suit the landlord or a particular tenant.0 -
This sounds wrong on every front.
My business is in a lease premises and I pay the landlord for what the sub meter reads, I can imagine one of the units may have the actual meter but in short the landlord pays the lot and bills us all our shares (plus a service charge).
Have you spoke to the company upstairs and explained the situation, seems you both need to talk to the landlord, but failing that as above get it disconnected, I am sure your landlord has an agreement to supply electricity to the people above, not you.Have my first business premises (+4th business) 01/11/2017
Quit day job to run 3 businesses 08/02/2017
Started third business 25/06/2016
Son born 13/09/2015
Started a second business 03/08/2013
Officially the owner of my own business since 13/01/20120
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