Waiting until people go to have the heating on?

[HannahHut]

Bit of a weird one. My housemates are going on holiday for a week and they over heard me telling my mate I'm going to put £20 on the meter and have the heating/fire on as much as I like (I'm freezing).

One of my housemates said it's selfish for me to wait until they're away to pay for the heating.

Basically, they never put the heating on because they don't want to pay to put gas in the meter. But if I put money in the meter they'll use it even when I'm not there, as a result I stopped doing it.

Aibu to put money in the meter and have the heating on as much as I want when they're away to treat myself?

Horrible little scruffs 😂

Wait til they're back from their holiday and cold.

Might be worth speaking to the landlord too. Not hearing the house over the winter is going to make it damp and probably mouldy.

YANBU. Just tell them that they can put £20 in when you are away.

You need to look for another house share. They need to learn about being cold and paying for heat, but also best they learn as a couple, not you teaching them/you suffering in order for them to learn.

Use the time they are away to look for other options - if you moved in the flat in July, assume you can get out of the tenancy at the start of January, best you go as January /February are usually the coldest months.

When they come back, you will have to discuss splitting the cost of the gas, with an agreement about how often the heating goes on.

I'd look for another place to live....fast. And not be there when they get back.

can you put money on online? i would put on the smallest amounts possible when i was in

I guess the good news is that this is a brilliant time to look for a house share cos nobody wants to move around Christmas, so you get more of a "buyers' market" ifswim.

Never, ever, share with a couple. (Learnt from bitter experience). Before long they will be claiming that as they cook together and only actually LIVE in one room they are the equivalent of one person when it comes to bills. They will hog the television, you will never get near the sofa, and gradually you will feel like an interloper in your own home.

This will not work, and you may lose the friendship too. Make moving your top priority.

And they are CFs for not paying their way with the heating, just because they’ve got each other to snuggle up to for warmth.

You CAN get a heater for your room and you should.

Or an electric blanket is cheap to run! I used to lie in bed watching tv whilst may house share buds refused to pay for heating.

A couple of years ago I was in the same sort of situation. While in uni I was living with two other people on a coin meter. They are being cheeky fuckers! Please don’t let them get away with it. I did and it cost me! It got to the point that they were leaving the meter to run out of money and I was having to top it up because they knew I would because I need certain things, They even started to go out to have showers because the meter was low and they didn’t want to have to top it up. I hate meter things and in shared accommodation they are terrible as they leave the opportunity for people to be cheeky fuckers

So sat down and spoke with them tonight. A said he's hardly ever cold and only puts it on for B so doesn't want to pay. B said she we all pay rent so she thought she could use the heating when she wanted.

I said if heating was a bill in with the rent she'd be right but as we're on a meter it's my money she's using.

She got the hump but agreed we should split it fairly...in half. She said they share a room most of the time so will not turn the radiator in his room on so not using more heating. I said they can forget that.

So heating not going on at all now! A said it's stupid and he'd pay a third if he has to but B is sulking about it.

I said let's just leave it until you get back from holiday and I'd see if I can work out a fair plan while they're away (like a third each isn't fair 🙄)

I feel like we wouldn't have these issues if they weren't a couple but oh well. Looking for a new place is looking like the only option if this carries on.

How ridiculous. They're not going to get any benefit from the community al areas being heated then are they? Or are all those radiators to be turned off as well?

I can't recall if you confirmed what powers your boiler? I'd have thought it's odd for it to be electric when the property has a gas supply. But I suppose it works when there's no money in the gas meter so it must be 🤔

Does he use hot water? If so, that is heated via the gas boiler.. saying he does not feel the cold so does not want to pay is bollocks.
The boiler needs electric to work.
There is the option of a halogen heater which uses less electric but the landlord will go spare if any damage is done due to not heating the property properly.
Three in the house, three pay equally. End of.
Decide what time it comes on and goes off and no one overrides this without increasing their share.

It’s fair for the utilities bill to be split three ways. Don’t they shower and wash dishes/clothes.

I would seriously buy a bloody heater for my room and join a gym to use the showers.

See how long they last without topping up the gas meter.

Def get a heater for your room and save to move out from these numpties. They are def CFs.

Ahem, see my post from yesterday 16:14:47.

This will only get worse. Time to move out.

A) Get an electric heater in the short term - if they are not going to play fair by you, why should you play fair with them? Use it any time you feel chilly and don't give it a second thought.
B) Crank the heating up as high as you like while they're away if you're paying for it.
C) Start looking for somewhere else to live. It will always be them versus you and they sound like tight bastards. Get somewhere else soon before the really cold weather kicks in.

Tight arseholes.

I suppose it’d be going too far to switch just their radiators off, and then take the dial off and hold it to ransom until they pay their share. Pity.

Oh nothing worse than stingy couples!

I lodged with a couple in my early 20s. They went away one weekend and the husband turned the thermostat down to 15 degrees so the heating wouldn't come on. It was winter. I could not work out why the heating would not come on. I didn't even know where the thermostat was. I went out and bought a fan heater and an electric blanket.

Spend your money on a cosy weekend and then find somewhere else to live.

Will be having the heating on as much as I like when they're gone!

Will look into a space heater for sure, just have to check we're allowed as we're not allowed things like candles etc.

I think looking for a new place will be turning high priority. It's for sure "me and them" now. I would have been simpler if they hadn't got together but they're not magically one person all of a sudden and I think they're forgetting that.

Get an electric heater. I bet the little sneaks have one in their room already! And start planning to move out.

Yes, I was going to suggest that you check to see if they have an electric heater in their room.
Do you have to have a card meter can you not have a metered supply and split the bill?
Check how the water is heated - it may well be gas. Speak to LL or letting agent.
Have you signed a year long contract?

Standing charge is included in rent according to the tenancy agreement.

Are you sure about that?

I'm getting the sense you have prepayment meters.
The standing charge comes off the prepayment meter. It comes off your topped up balance. Unless the landlord comes in and puts money on your key/fob/whatever it's not included in the rent.

Yes, you need to get out of this situation. It's hard enough now they are lovey dovey, but as soon as their relationship hits the rocks, it's going to be absolute hell there.

Good luck with the flat hunting.