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Electricity Rates - Maria (5th Mar 2013 - 16:03:51) Hi I've recently moved into a small studio flat in the area and have an old fashioned meter for my electricity. It is the kind whereby you put a pound coin in and twist a dial until the coin drops into a chamber below. So far in the last two weeks, I have had to put around £70 into the meter. I only use very minimal electric - in the eve i have one light on at a time and all with energy saver lightbulbs, a very small tv on for a couple of hours, a small fridge, and occasionally i will use the hob (i have no oven or microwave) - I havent yet used the washing maching as im worried as to the usage and so have chosed to do my washing elsewhere! I just wondered if anyone else has a similar electricity meter or knows approximately what i should be paying as this seems excessive to me?! Oh - and if anyone knows of a private rented studio/one bed flat/annexe in the local area thats reasonably priced, I would be very interested! Thank you!

Re: Electricity Rates - James h (5th Mar 2013 - 17:53:35) Maria, your landlord should be able to help you here. You are obviously paying way too much and need to contact the supply company as well.

Re: Electricity Rates - H (5th Mar 2013 - 21:01:29) Maria, This seems excessive to me too! There seems to be something out of the ordinary with the amout you are paying. Maybe there is something wrong with your meter, or you are paying for the other flats electricity (or your landlord has put a meter in that he can charge his own rates!). To give you some idea of what you should be paying - I live in a four bedroom detached house with children (so lights, TV, oven etc working overtime) and I pay on average about £9 a week. I know it normally costs more on a pay-as-you-go meter but not that much more!!

Re: Electricity Rates - Paula (5th Mar 2013 - 23:49:36) These meters are now obsolete from the electricity supplier and have been replaced with key meters, whereby you take a 'key' to a paypoint and have it charged, then insert back into the meter and it will register the amount you have paid for, in addition to any balance there was prior to removing the key from the meter. In addition, you have a £2 i.o.u in case it runs out in the night for example! I would guess that the landlord has fitted the slot meter and as previously suggested I would speak to your landlord or indeed the electricity supplier who will be able to tell you if it is one of their meters. If it is, they will arrange to exchange it for a key meter. I agree that the rate you are being charged at is far to high!

Re: Electricity Rates - Maria (6th Mar 2013 - 08:08:01) Thanks all for your advice - much appreciated. I've spoken to my landlord about it and his answer was that no one else has ever complained about it! I live in an annexe and it was certainly my thought that i could be paying for the house as well (which is also rented). I will find out who the supplier is and contact them directly myself as at this rate i will not be able to afford to live there much longer! Thanks again. :-) Check to see if the dials are rotating when you have nothing switched on in your annexe, if they do, there is something wrong! "The maximum amount landlords or “resellers” are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they have paid for it, plus VAT at the appropriate rate. If the existing energy supplier applies a standing charge this can be recovered on pro-rata basis according to the usage of all those supplied at a particular property or site." See www.ofgem.gov.uk/domestic-consumers/... Can you see a 'setting' on the meter (a number like 5.6 for instance) if so, what is it ?

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