Advice regarding bill

The_Morrigan

GeneralC wrote: »

The property is a house converted into flats. I have my own electricity coined box, which accepts €1/€2 coins. Then there is the separate gas metres for the five separate flats.

I am the only one living in my flat, the rest are couples with bigger flats, one is actually a 2 bed and the other is a proper apartment style with separate kitchen and living room, whereas mine is all in one room.

Where is the bathroom?

Greenmachine

My own flat is entirely on electric a typical is about €95 for 2 months.
One bigger bill covering Jan and Feb this year came to €180. March and April bill about €130. About €690 alll in for 12 months. About €125 of that would be heating.

GeneralC

The_Morrigan wrote: »

Where is the bathroom?

Separate bathroom sorry

GeneralC

Greenmachine wrote: »

My own flat is entirely on electric a typical is about €95 for 2 months.
One bigger bill covering Jan and Feb this year came to €180. March and April bill about €130. About €690 alll in for 12 months. About €125 of that would be heating.

Mine is about €15 per week for electricity, but I am rarely there.

K.Flyer

As I said in my earlier post, phone Gas Networks 1850 20 50 50 and ask for the GPRN number for your gas supply, they will only need the meter serial number and the address.
It makes no difference whose name the account is in, the GPRN is unique to your supply.
Then ask the agency or the landlord for the bills with that number for the last few years. Then you will know exactly how much you owe.

Greenmachine

GeneralC wrote: »

Mine is about €15 per week for electricity, but I am rarely there.

And gas on top apparently.

GeneralC

Greenmachine wrote: »

And gas on top apparently.

Apparently :rolleyes::rolleyes:

omnithanos

Is your landlord Rigsby?

Ranchu

There's no way I'd accept a landlord hitting me up with a bill like that after that amount of time. It also sounds like a daft amount for a bed sit. It sounds to me like he has one meter in the property and has probably been paying estimates and has now got hit with a proper bill and is trying to make up the difference. I'd tell him to go and ****e if he can't prove exactly what you have used.

The_Conductor

A thousand for 3 years usage- even for a small studio apartment- is far from being unfair. If its a brand new building- with very good insulation- even then its reasonable enough over a 3 year period- but if its an older building- its actually the deal of the century........ I paid 280 for my last 2 month bill (gas on for 2 hours a day- an hour in early morning before get-up time, and an hour in the evening before bedtime- as I have two young children). That was sufficient to run up a 280 bill........ (and I have the thermostat set at 17.5 degrees- its not that we're particularly comfortable).

You can dispute this whatever way you like- the landlord screwed up by not having individual reads. How are the other apartments proposing to pay this- seeing as you're there longer than any of them- they could argue that you accrued a far higher portion of the bill than they did- therefore you should pay proportionally a higher amount than they, based on their shorter tenancy?

If I were in your position- I'd dispute the payment- certainly- however, I'd do it with my eyes wide open, and cognisant of the fact that my own share of the bill- could be higher than a simple 5 way split.

Its messy- and to be honest- while morally you are responsible for the bill- the manner in which the landlord is going about collecting it leaves him/her on very shakey ground.........

handlemaster

The original poster argues how much the rent is going up by. No mention of how long it has been under market rate and indeed if the new rate is market rate.

stampydmonkey

K.Flyer wrote: »

As I said in my earlier post, phone Gas Networks 1850 20 50 50 and ask for the GPRN number for your gas supply, they will only need the meter serial number and the address.
It makes no difference whose name the account is in, the GPRN is unique to your supply.
Then ask the agency or the landlord for the bills with that number for the last few years. Then you will know exactly how much you owe.

This is the correct answer. They will have all the records. If there is 5 meters you need to find out which one is yours.

suds1984

Are they both individual meters for gas and electricity? I.E 2 meters per apartment?

GeneralC

omnithanos wrote: »

Is your landlord Rigsby?

Yes, pretty sure he is registered.

GeneralC

The_Conductor wrote: »

A thousand for 3 years usage- even for a small studio apartment- is far from being unfair. If its a brand new building- with very good insulation- even then its reasonable enough over a 3 year period- but if its an older building- its actually the deal of the century........ I paid 280 for my last 2 month bill (gas on for 2 hours a day- an hour in early morning before get-up time, and an hour in the evening before bedtime- as I have two young children). That was sufficient to run up a 280 bill........ (and I have the thermostat set at 17.5 degrees- its not that we're particularly comfortable).

You can dispute this whatever way you like- the landlord screwed up by not having individual reads. How are the other apartments proposing to pay this- seeing as you're there longer than any of them- they could argue that you accrued a far higher portion of the bill than they did- therefore you should pay proportionally a higher amount than they, based on their shorter tenancy?

If I were in your position- I'd dispute the payment- certainly- however, I'd do it with my eyes wide open, and cognisant of the fact that my own share of the bill- could be higher than a simple 5 way split.

Its messy- and to be honest- while morally you are responsible for the bill- the manner in which the landlord is going about collecting it leaves him/her on very shakey ground.........

Like I previously said, I'll pay what I owe, it's just the fashion that this has been brought to me by the estate agents.

GeneralC

suds1984 wrote: »

Are they both individual meters for gas and electricity? I.E 2 meters per apartment?

There is one coin box for electricity, then another metre that I presume is for heating!

Stheno

GeneralC wrote: »

There is one coin box for electricity, then another metre that I presume is for heating!

Are they both in your room?

GeneralC

handlemaster wrote: »

The original poster argues how much the rent is going up by. No mention of how long it has been under market rate and indeed if the new rate is market rate.

Hard to know as there is no flats in this area apart from the ones I am in, houses and apartments in the area. I am not disputing the rent increase by the way! Just highlighting the significant increase

GeneralC

Stheno wrote: »

Are they both in your room?

All metres/boxes are downstairs in a cupboard!

James 007

I had a similar set up before with a Cavan landlord on the new cabra road, and he tried to rob me. I stood my ground, he took bill money out of my deposit.

I found out he was on summer holidays for about two weeks, decided to stay on an extra two weeks rent free until one evening I came home and the whole apartment, was been converted back from 2 bed to a 1 bed. The apartment was in the newly extend part of the house, and the bedrooms were designed to queeze in the one beds, the mean tight you know what.

Arbiter of Good Taste

James 007 wrote: »

I had a similar set up before with a Cavan landlord on the new cabra road, and he tried to rob me. I stood my ground, he took bill money out of my deposit.

I found out he was on summer holidays for about two weeks, decided to stay on an extra two weeks rent free until one evening I came home and the whole apartment, was been converted back from 2 bed to a 1 bed. The apartment was in the newly extend part of the house, and the bedrooms were designed to queeze in the one beds, the mean tight you know what.

So you try to leave without paying bills and then stay on illegally for two weeks, and it's the LANDLORD who's the villain in your head? Unbelievable.

GeneralC

Does anyone know if the estate agent can keep my deposit if I don't pay for this bill?

GeneralC

My neighbour knocks in to me today and asks me about the gas bill he received. He also mentioned to me that the estate agents told him how much rent I am paying, when enquiring about his rent increase, and he demanded to be only paying the same rent as me.

Are the estate allowed to tell him, or anyone else, how much rent I am paying?! I thought this was unprofessional of them! I really want to ring them and complain.

GeneralC

GeneralC wrote: »

My neighbour knocks in to me today and asks me about the gas bill he received. He also mentioned to me that the estate agents told him how much rent I am paying, when enquiring about his rent increase, and he demanded to be only paying the same rent as me.

Are the estate allowed to tell him, or anyone else, how much rent I am paying?! I thought this was unprofessional of them! I really want to ring them and complain.

Op. Are you ignoring the advice given to you here. Ring gas networks. Find out how much you owe on your meter. Pay it. Problem solved.

James 007

Arbiter of Good Taste wrote: »

So you try to leave without paying bills and then stay on illegally for two weeks, and it's the LANDLORD who's the villain in your head? Unbelievable.

I have no problem at all paying for my bills for my apartment only, but when I get a bill over 1 year later and what seemed to be the bill for the entire 3 storey building and basement all drafted on an excel sheet, I say no thanks to that.

As pointed out above, all the utilities should of have been put in my name first day, with the meter reading taken. I am the one that should of have had visibility on my bills every 2 months. The minute I see an excel spreadsheet document, I smelt a rat.

K.Flyer

GeneralC wrote: »

There is one coin box for electricity, then another metre that I presume is for heating!

Is it possible for you to post a picture of this meter?