tenant question Electricity costs v's ECP given when tenancy started

[Newhere2]

Hi,

I have a question. Our heating has played up and LL done little about it, brought people out be issue never properly resolved, I don't know if it can be.

Anyway our electricity bills are coming in at 3 times the yearly EPC expectation and that is only over 7 months (so 6 times the EPC if you simply double it..)

LL offering a tiny amount back after us asking for 4 months now.

Any comments appreciated

You did take the meter readings when you moved in? And you took an up to date meter reading before the recent bill? So there are no estimates?

How many kWh did you use, and over what period?

Is your home heated electrically? What size and age is it? Have you now turned the heating off for the summer?

What do you mean by "the heating played up?"

Is there an immersion heater? What colour is the hot water cylinder?

Do you have an electric shower? How many minutes a day is it used?

Your recent bill include winter, so if you take the reading again today, you should find that your usage (kWh per day) has dropped a lot. If the estimate you saw was for annual usage, the winter quarter will be particularly high. My April usage (average kWh per day) is very much lower than my March usage.

It is a good idea to take a meter reading at least once a month, and input it online to your supplier's website. As well as preventing any estimated bills, it will enable you to track usage and spot any worryingly high figures and investigate them.

thanks PigletJohn,

There has been an ongoing issue that is recognised by the LL, my question is more should bills be reasonably inline with estimates. IE is being out by 200 - 300 percent common??

We have not relied on estimates and keep a track of the usage regularly & highlighted it to the LL asap.

What is the issue you mention?

It might have something to do with the extra cost.

EPCs are wet-finger-in-air fantasy, the computer model used is fairly worthless. Who knows what temperature you keep the house at, what appliances you use, if you turn anything off, if you waste hot water, etc etc etc. Your energy use is within your control, you can use any supplier you like and any tariff you can get.

(FYI I rented out a house, when I moved back in my bills were ONE-THIRD those of the tenants. Exactly the same house, exactly the same systems, everything working).

BUT the landlord needs to provide a working system as you saw when you viewed the place. (I mean that if you viewed it with storage heaters, it doesn't magically turn into gas CH - but if you viewed it with gas CH that should all be working properly).

thanks both. No for most of the tenancy the heating has been playing up & is the cause of the bills. (it was on full ball, or off completely, but mostly on, it was very very uncomfortable).

ok. That is what needs to be fixed. All heating systems are repairable or replaceable. It costs money but that's part of being a landlord. (I'm one).

landlord needs to find a competent gas (assuming it is gas) person - which may well mean NOT British Gas. Although you mention electricity; is it electric heating?