How to charge ‘tenant’ for electricity usage over set amount?

[ElectricQuery]

My elderly mum has a person moving in as part of a Homeshare agreement. The sharer gets free accommodation in exchange for 10 hours of help in the house per week.

It’s an old house with no central heating so heating is via plug-in electric heaters.

What would be the best way of setting a ceiling for electricity use, above which the sharer has to contribute to the electricity bill? I just don’t want mum to potentially be left with a huge bill.

Could use a plug-in electricity usage monitor on the heaters in the sharer’s bedroom. She’d need one for each heater in her room. I’m not sure this is viable solution.

Any ideas of a better way to do it?

(The company who set up the Homeshare are no help on this.)

A company set up the arrangement, but they didn’t provide any useful advice on this when I asked.

Could you work out your mums usage per month and then charge some of any increase ?

Thanks. Yes, I can, but that wouldn’t account for a much colder winter? She had to move to Octopus when her original electric company closed so we don’t have records going back years.

Can central heating not be fitted?
It'd improve her life quality no end.

Mum is very anti-heating. The boiler was condemned after 50 years service but she won’t downsize.

Did she used to use the old heating boiler?

Is money an issue?

This could become a very tricky situation.

I think ultimately, your mother has a responsibility to provide habitable living conditions in this arrangement.

Would she be better off going down the private careers route?

There is no question of inhabitable conditions or of a carer. It’s “help in the house” as stated in my OP.

Yes. It’s the family home that she’s been in for 50+ years and I can’t persuaded her to downsize.

She didn’t tend to use the boiler much when it was just herself.

I put a clause like this when I had a lodger. My electric bill was fairly consistent at £50/month so I put a clause in saying "anything over £60/month shall be paid by lodger". You have evidence of previous bill usage to ensure they are happy with the excess.

One of the lodgers was fine and paid up but the one who racked up £150/month in bills kicked off and got an electric plug measuring device which showed it was actually her.

Would she be better off paying for a cleaner and sending her laundry for a service wash?

Would she be eligible for attendance allowance which might cover it?

I'm not sure that an appliance monitor would work - there wouldn't be anything stopping it being unplugged. There's also the issue of if the homeshare person wants the communal areas warmer than DM has them currently.

It sounds like a recipe for disagreements tbh. Would an agreement where they pay all bills 50:50 be more workable maybe?

Its tricky because your mum hasn’t got standard c/h and electrical heating is more expensive. I think your mum should bear some of the additional cost of having (through choice) a poor heating system, so basically the homecare person shouldn’t absorb the full additional cost.

Thank you. That’s the sort of thing I’m looking for. Unfortunately we don’t have consistent evidence of past and due to too many estimations last year, and no access to Bulb records.

Not sure if this is much use? Could average it out?

All I'm trying to do is create a ceiling of what will be provided free to avoid a very large bill if the sharer leaves heaters on when out etc. Mum has had tenants before, one who left her with a £700 bill.

I think you need to think that getting in carers for ten hours a week would be about £200 so you are saving this each week through having someone there to help her. I know they are getting free rent but she is also gaining through the agreement. Is she claiming attendance allowance?

A friend's aunt has recently come out of a similar arrangement and was severely out of pocket as she didn't have anything put in place before the companion moved in.
Also put in a clause that she can give notice to the companion if she feels the arrangement is not working. The company friend's aunt went through made everything in the companion's favour. Thankfully the woman has now moved out

Any chance your mum has a smart meter?

It’s not care. She doesn’t need care. It’s someone in the house, companionship and 10 hours per week help, mainly cooking and sharing a meal in mum’s case.

No, she doesn’t.

How awful. Would you mind DMing me the company?

Sorry, I think I may have misunderstood your post. Yes, what you describe is the point of the scheme (apart from it is not care). I simply want there to be a reasonable ceiling on the amount mum has to spend on electricity due to the arrangement,

Agree. Only trying to put an upper limit on this cost.

She already has a cleaner and has no issues doing her own laundry. It’s to have someone in the house, companionship and 10 hours per week help, mainly cooking and sharing a meal in mum’s case.

A 50:50 wouldn't be fair, as a pp has said.

Attendance allowance wouldn’t apply.

Would the heating not be covered as part of the free accommodation?