Advice on tenant query

curadh

Hi all, Im looking after a flat and the tenants are claiming that with their mains fuse switched off, their esb meter is registering an extra 2 units over 8-12 hours. It is a digital meter so very reliable. I can't check it myself obviously as it would involve standing there to make sure they didnt switch it back up for a minute over 12 hours.
They rang the esb who have advised them to get me to send an electrician out(easy for them to say, its not them forking out €100), I know for a fact the mains cable goes from meter to fusebox, no diversions or spurs. I also know it is certified by RECI.
Is it okay for me to advise these tenants that should they request an electrician to check this that they may end up paying for him if there is no problem with the electricity?and obviously otherwise, we will pay.

Xiney

I doubt the tenants will go for that - and in fairness what reason have they to lie about their esb meter registering incorrectly?

D3PO

your tennants switched off their electricity for 12 hours ?

Especially if its only registering 2 units. Thats the equivelent of 50 cent a day so probably 30 odd euro on their bill every second month. Id seriously doubt that kind of variability on the bill would make somebody take such drastic action as to go without power for half a day.

Im not an electriction but id imagine theres an easy explanation to this that doesnt require it to be looked at. Sounds liek some residual power draw or the likes.

curadh

Xiney, Im not saying the tenants are telling me lies for the craic. They could just be reading the meter wrong or something.
Thats what Im thinking D3PO..but I wouldnt have time to go down and stand over it for 8 hours..but for them to still claim theres power usage with the mains off, and the esb saying Ive to get out an electrician, leads me to believe it would be fair to ask them to pay for the electrician if I dont suspect theres a problem...and by all means if there IS a problem I'll pay to remedy it.

Yawns

Would it be worth it if it stopped them complaining?

If you expect them to pay, will they possibly move somewhere else? Will it be worth cleaning the place up and getting new tennants in for €100?

quozl

They claim they've turned off the main fuse and yet are getting rising meter readings.

That seems pretty simple.

Either, imo,

A) go down there and see the test setup they used, and point out the flaw in it, if it exists. There's no requirement for you to stand there for 8 hours, that's a straw-man, unless see point B just below
call them liars
C) or pay for the electrician.

The electrics are your responsibility, not theirs. If you have no reason to disbelieve them, then you're being unreasonable in my mind not to get an electrician.

Yawns

D3PO wrote: »

your tennants switched off their electricity for 12 hours ?

Especially if its only registering 2 units. Thats the equivelent of 50 cent a day so probably 30 odd euro on their bill every second month. Id seriously doubt that kind of variability on the bill would make somebody take such drastic action as to go without power for half a day.

€30 is quite a lot to pay for that you havn't used. My last airtricity bill was for €60 for a 2 month period. So that would be half. My usual bill is never more than 90 odd euro so it would aprox be 1/3 of my bill.


It is the job of the landlord to look after the wiring of the house. The tennant only pays the bill. It seems like the tennats tried to sort it with the esb first who told them to get an electrician, which would be the job of the landlord.

Jumpy

curadh wrote: »

Hi all, Im looking after a flat and the tenants are claiming that with their mains fuse switched off, their esb meter is registering an extra 2 units over 8-12 hours. It is a digital meter so very reliable. I can't check it myself obviously as it would involve standing there to make sure they didnt switch it back up for a minute over 12 hours.
They rang the esb who have advised them to get me to send an electrician out(easy for them to say, its not them forking out €100), I know for a fact the mains cable goes from meter to fusebox, no diversions or spurs. I also know it is certified by RECI.
Is it okay for me to advise these tenants that should they request an electrician to check this that they may end up paying for him if there is no problem with the electricity?and obviously otherwise, we will pay.

Not ok to request this.

Its a renters market, man up and get the electrician in. Keep your tenants happy at all costs in this current market.

AARRRRGH

curadh wrote: »

Hi all, Im looking after a flat and the tenants are claiming that with their mains fuse switched off, their esb meter is registering an extra 2 units over 8-12 hours. It is a digital meter so very reliable. I can't check it myself obviously as it would involve standing there to make sure they didnt switch it back up for a minute over 12 hours.
They rang the esb who have advised them to get me to send an electrician out(easy for them to say, its not them forking out €100), I know for a fact the mains cable goes from meter to fusebox, no diversions or spurs. I also know it is certified by RECI.
Is it okay for me to advise these tenants that should they request an electrician to check this that they may end up paying for him if there is no problem with the electricity?and obviously otherwise, we will pay.

Is the ESB bill in their name? If so its between them and the ESB. They can call the ESB and ask them to check the meter themselves. Its not that hard.

Its not actually an electricians job to settle disputes about meters, so an electrician is no use to you here. Its up to the ESB to check out the meter and they will charge a fee for this. Refunded if there is a problem found with the meter.

Tell them they are welcome to contact the ESB if they want. And IF there is a problem you will get it sorted.

Should be a huge refund for them if the meter is that faulty.
The procedure is on ESB networks website. Or the bill payer can call them.

Yawns

They have rang the ESB and were told that an electrician would be needed. Maybe it's the ESB giving them the run around but the landlord needs to sort it and then if it is an ESB problem the landlord can look to the ESB for recourse if he wishes to.

AARRRRGH

Yawns wrote: »

They have rang the ESB and were told that an electrician would be needed. Maybe it's the ESB giving them the run around but the landlord needs to sort it and then if it is an ESB problem the landlord can look to the ESB for recourse if he wishes to.

Let the landlord call the ESB and find out the process. Its a very straightforward process. Then he can pass that on to the tenant.

unamused

Its up to the landlord to sort out problems with rental accommodation stop being a greedy fecker and get it sorted for them grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr landlords

Yawns

AARRRRGH wrote: »

Let the landlord call the ESB and find out the process. Its a very straightforward process. Then he can pass that on to the tenant.

And assuming the ESB tell the landlord the same thing, ie call an electrician, will the OP still want the tennant to pay for it?

curadh

Ah the old anti landlord posts - grow up Im hardly going around in a bentley cigar dangling from the mouth splashing puddles at my tenants, most landlords like myself are operating at a loss with the rents so low now.

The esb are sending out an engineer to look at the meter since the apartment was certified recently already by an electrician.

AARRRRGH

Yawns wrote: »

And assuming the ESB tell the landlord the same thing, ie call an electrician, will the OP still want the tennant to pay for it?

They wont. Ring them yourself and tell us what they say. There is a procedure in place. Look it up. My guess is the tenants made up their "call" to the ESB to get the guy to pay for an electrician, rather than run the risk that they might be wrong about the meter.

Victor

Get whoever is at fault to pay the cost of the electrician. If possible, schedule the inspection with other electrical work, to minimise cost. You don't need to stay all day - put a seal on the fuse panel.

If the meter is faulty, the ESB pays (and refunds the historical overcharge for X period).

If there is something peculiar like landlord services run of the tenants meter, the landlord pays.

If there is no problem, and hte complaint is contrived, the tenant pays.