Gas meter set wrong

[valeriej43]

One of my sons moved into a new flat 4 months ago, he has just received a gas bill for £720, which is obviously wrong for a 1 bedroom flat
The energy company are asking him for £174 a month, he has spoken to his landlord who says he will get someone to look into it,but hasnt done so yet
I think there might be some fiddling going on, as it is a house divided into 2 flats, my son pays £400 a month including council tax, there is only 1 phone point which is in the top flat,so to get another line would cost a lot, so he cant have the internet,
I have a feeling this landlord hasnt declared that this house is classed as 2 flats, my son thinks he might be paying for the flat upstaris water and heating too,
My son moved from hois previous flat for similiar reasons, he was getting very high utility bills, and couldnt understand why, then it turned out that this place was once business premises and the bills were also for a business next door
Any advice appreciated, RE; getting the landlord to actually sort this out, his response to my son when told about the high gas bill,said well its winter,
I live in a 3 bed house and my bills are nothing like that, there is no way my son can pay £174 a month
It might come to him moving back here, as he is also paying a lot to the CSA [another post] he has nothing left

[wales01man]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

I would tell your son to find the gas meter turn it off and remove the handle and see what happens if he is paying for the other flats gas they will soon be looking to find out why they have no gas as i understand it the gas company can check the meters settings not the landlord best bet would be if [possible to get him home from reading your other posts life financially bat the moment is shi.

[charitynjw]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

I would tell your son to find the gas meter turn it off and remove the handle and see what happens if he is paying for the other flats gas they will soon be looking to find out why they have no gas as i understand it the gas company can check the meters settings not the landlord best bet would be if [possible to get him home from reading your other posts life financially bat the moment is shi.

Turning the meter control handle off is ok, but removing the handle would probably breach gas safety regulations.

[valeriej43]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

Well just spoken to my son again, it seems he is probably paying for the 2[thought there was only 1] flats hot water,as the only time there ois hot water is when the radiators are on, and the 2 flats above dont have gas only electricity, so he hasnt used any heating for the last week, and not even using it now its got colder,
Apparently he now knows the landlord hasnt declared the place as being flats
I know now why this landlord is so well off, £400 a month off my son,and maybe £300 off the other 2 flats as they are smaller,my son has only a shower, one of the flats has a bath, the other again only a shower, so now the other 2 flats have no hot water either,
The one my son has is the ground floor, with 1 bedroom, for his son, he uses a bed sttee,in the living room
Yes if you have read the other posts [ CSA ] you will know what a predicament he is in,
I,m afraid he is very unlucky, he has broken his ribs now, due to trying to move the bed settee,and fell against the metal sides

I think he should just leave,get his bond back,and let the landlord sort the bills mess out, maybe not the right thing to do, but its his fault in the first place
N Power checked the meter and it isnt faulty, so some fiddling going on by the landlord

[valeriej43]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

HE e is at the end of his tether now, just rung me in tears, and the local housing association are too busy rehoming young mothers with babies and ex prisoners, i am so mad about this situation
What grown man wants to move back in with parents, i already have my grand daughter here at the moment, as she couldnt afford her flat either,her parents live abroad,
Only wish i could help more, a lottery win would be great, some hope lol

[valeriej43]

Re: Gas meter set wrong, UPDATE

More advice please if possible; my son has now found out for sure that the high gas bill he got is because he is being charged for the other tenants constant hot water, that they thought they were getting free, from the landlord [ who said well its winter] in other words you must have had the heating on a lot
It has come to light after my son talking to the other tenants that this has happened before,
Any advice on the next move would be appreciated, as the landlord hasnt declared that the house is being used as flats, there is no fire escape from the other 2 flats, and he is making a fortune it seems, as he will be drawing in about £1000 a month, whereas if he was renting it out as just a house he would only get about £500 a month,
My son is going to have to move out now, as the gas company are wanting £174 a month
I think he should report this landlord to the council,. or whoever deals with people having permission to convert a house into flats

,

[enaid]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

This link is from Shelter website on how and who to complain to about private landlords.

Complaints about private landlords - Shelter England

There is also a Ombudsman but to use this service you need to go through the landlords own complaints procedure first.

Housing Ombudsman Service

[valeriej43]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

Thank you for your reply enaid, i have also rung Consumer direct, who have also given me shelters no, but i rang them once before and could only leave a message, but no one got back to me
CS suggested my son writes a letter of complaint and send by recorded delivery, as he is the one responsible for the high bill really, , and knew this would happen, from what i have been told, all the previous tenants have just got their bond back,and left, not paying the gas bills but not even sure where he lives,but i will look at the link for shelter and show my son

[enaid]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

Well it is good that people are getting their bonds back often that is not the case without a fight.
There are strict rules for Landlords re gas safety checks.
The Landlord must provide you with a record of the annual gas safety check within 28 days of the check being completed or if you’re a new tenant before you move in.
If this is not the case then you may well remind him of this in your letter of complaint.

[pinkfloydianuk]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

When your son moved in to the flat did he take meter readings and give them to the Energy Supplier?

There should be seperate meters for each flat.

If there isnt then i would say he's definately been paying for the other flat too, which obviously isnt right.

I'm not clued up on tenancy's etc but i would definately tell your son not to worry, the landlord is the one in the wrong not your son if there is only one meter.

Has your son tried phoning the Energy Supplier to explain why he thinks his bill is so high?

I am certain that they would be interested to know what the Landlord has been up to.

I am sure others will be along soon to offer more advice, but please tell your son not to get upset about it, im sure he will be stressing a lot but reassure him that he has done NOTHING wrong here so not to worry.

pfuk

[valeriej43]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

Yes my son took a meter reading when he moved in, so was very shocked to receive a bill for £720, and this is only for gas, his electricity bill was fine
The radiators in the upstairs flats have been cut off from the gas supply, dont know who did that, but the tenants have oil filled electric radiators, and their own electricity meters, and immersion heaters, but they have never had to use them, as they believed they were getting free constant hot water
My son has been onto the gas supplier and they checked the meter, [we thought it was set wrong] but the meter was ok, the person who inspected the meter said see the landlord, something is wrong,and suggested my son was paying for the upstairs tenants gas,
After my son spoke to the other tenants,they told him that this had happened before,so the landlord definitely knew
This situation is ironic really, because my son left the last flat because he was getting very high bills for electricity and water,and it turned out that the plasterers next doors water and electricity was running off my sons meters
You wouldnt believe how unlucky he is, nothing seems to go right for him,apart from this mess

[valeriej43]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

I meant to say too that i am not sure about the gas checks before my son moved in, but i will check with him,
There can be problems with bonds,but in the case of this landlord i dont think he would refuse in case he was reported for the meter situation
He knows he is not at fault, but still a stressfull situation along with other things ,like the CSA not leaving him much to live on for a start,so he does get stressed about his financial situation anyway
Thanks for your help pinkfloyd

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

What company is he with (please dont say Atlantic) ?

I would suggest a chat with National Grid as well, as i think they need to know that hes made a house in to flats.

[charitynjw]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998
Reg 36 - Duties of Landlords
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1...lation/36/made

I would find it extremely odd if a bona fide GasSafe engineer did not notice these glaring contraventions.

Reg 8 - Existing fittings & alteration of property.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1...ulation/8/made

A separate emergency control should be fitted in each dwelling

Have a word with GasSafe for the way forward.
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/def...opupcheck=true

[valeriej43]

Re: Gas meter set wrong

My son is with N Power, thank you for the links, i am going to print them off to show him,
I have just spoken to him, and it gets worse, it turns out that there is only ` water storage tank, and 1 immersion heater,which heats all the flats water when the gas heating isnt on, which it isnt now at all,
The flats upstairs have card meters, but the main meter again is in my sons flat, so he might even now be paying for all the hot water again, and upstairs just paying for appliances
The electrician who came said the whole house is a bodge job,
Obviously the landlord has had someone wire the flats seperately for the card meters to be put in, but if there is only one immersion heater and switch, which is always on, it must be from the main meter,
By the way the £720 was for gas and electricity, i understood it was just for the gas, but there is still constant hot water, now the gas is off,because the immersion has kicked in