Using too much hot water

cerise

My lodger is wanting to have a bath and shower twice a day and is using all the hot water in the tank twice a day. we share the costs of utilities. I think this is unreasonable. I shower for 10 mins and plenty of hot water left afterwards. so the boiler is on 3 times a day for an hour the way things are now. Constructive advice. Thanks

Marcusm

Lots if people bathe or shower twice a day just as many still wash once a week or fortnight. If there's no hot water left for you, they need to be more considerate. Otherwise, take it into account in deciding what is an acceptable rent or split of bills. You can't stop them bathing.

Idbatterim

throw in an electric shower? Is it an immersion heating the water?

cruizer101

OP do you mean two baths and two showers or a bath and two showers. In fairness two showers a day is grand but a bath daily on top of that is pushing it a bit and two baths would be crazy.

At the end of the day you just need to talk to them and say if they want to continue on that you will have to review how the bills are split. Being a lodger they don't have a whole lot of rights if you decide you are sick of it and want them to up and leave but it will also leave you without rent for a period while you find a new tenant.

The_Morrigan

You really need to sort this one out before the water charges come into play.
I'm in an apartment and if my lodger has a long shower there is no water left for me - so if either one of us knows we'll be having a long shower, we will let the other one know the night before, so schedules can be worked out to have the tank refilled and hot for the other person.

Ray Palmer

Some people come form places where hot water costs no more money. Shared heated water systems in apartments etc...

I suspect this person may be used to this or never had to pay for the cost of heating water.

I think it would be fair an reasonable to work out the cost and explain the extra costs for their use of heating should be considered.

Idbatterim

You really need to sort this one out before the water charges come into play.
I'm in an apartment and if my lodger has a long shower there is no water left for me - so if either one of us knows we'll be having a long shower, we will let the other one know the night before, so schedules can be worked out to have the tank refilled and hot for the other person.

if you own the property would you not install an electric shower? hot water on demand, massively cuts bills... win / win! I am renting, with this archaic set up, but if I wasnt, there is no way I wouldnt have an electric shower...

Some people come form places where hot water costs no more money. Shared heated water systems in apartments etc...

I suspect this person may be used to this or never had to pay for the cost of heating water.

I think it would be fair an reasonable to work out the cost and explain the extra costs for their use of heating should be considered.

agreed, if it were heated by electric shower or gas boiler, it wouldnt really bother me, but the immersions are ridiculous...

cerise

Yes they are used to free hot water from apartment living abroad . Have discussed this and we are writing down when each of us are putting on the water to bathe. Some times its a bit of a race as to who is bathing first as u can't bathe if other person has bagged the time first. Yesterday my lodger drained the whole hot tank twice leaving me to wait till 23.50pm before I had enough water to bathe in my house.

They are not that considerate of my needs and have said They need to have a bath Twice a day and shower twice a day and don't care if there is no hot water left for me to do dishes or shower etc. I will ask them to leave before water rates come in and have to put up with it for now.

Marcusm

The_Morrigan wrote: »

You really need to sort this one out before the water charges come into play.
I'm in an apartment and if my lodger has a long shower there is no water left for me - so if either one of us knows we'll be having a long shower, we will let the other one know the night before, so schedules can be worked out to have the tank refilled and hot for the other person.

Are water meters being installed for individual apartments? I ask only as in the UK, water metering is undertaken block by block and included in management charges. Metering individual apartments is not generally undertaken as it's impractical unless included at design stage.

Victor

cerise wrote: »

so the boiler is on 3 times a day for an hour the way things are now.

Is there a more efficient way of managing the boiler?

The_Morrigan

Marcusm wrote: »

Are water meters being installed for individual apartments? I ask only as in the UK, water metering is undertaken block by block and included in management charges. Metering individual apartments is not generally undertaken as it's impractical unless included at design stage.

I can't answer that, it would depend on each development. I'm currently waiting to hear the plans for my own place.

But if a tenant/lodger is using the majority of the water, then they should be footing the bill for the majority of the charge whether that be the flat rate or metered.

K.Flyer

cerise wrote: »

....Yesterday my lodger drained the whole hot tank twice leaving me to wait till 23.50pm before I had enough water to bathe in my house.
....They are not that considerate of my needs and have said They need to have a bath Twice a day and shower twice a day and don't care if there is no hot water left for me to do dishes or shower etc. I will ask them to leave before water rates come in and have to put up with it for now.

Whatever about the water rates, wait until you see your electric bill for having to heat so much water using an immersion.
Sit your lodger down and explain that their disproportionate use of the hot water is costing you money and either they pay more, use less or they will have to leave.

K.Flyer

Marcusm wrote: »

Are water meters being installed for individual apartments? I ask only as in the UK, water metering is undertaken block by block and included in management charges. Metering individual apartments is not generally undertaken as it's impractical unless included at design stage.

Most of the Apartment blocks I work in are pre-plumbed to take individual water meters.
It could prove to be very difficult to install individual meters on those that are not meter ready.

godtabh

cerise wrote: »

Yes they are used to free hot water from apartment living abroad . Have discussed this and we are writing down when each of us are putting on the water to bathe. Some times its a bit of a race as to who is bathing first as u can't bathe if other person has bagged the time first. Yesterday my lodger drained the whole hot tank twice leaving me to wait till 23.50pm before I had enough water to bathe in my house.

They are not that considerate of my needs and have said They need to have a bath Twice a day and shower twice a day and don't care if there is no hot water left for me to do dishes or shower etc. I will ask them to leave before water rates come in and have to put up with it for now.

Why wait?

BKWDR

I once had a lodger many moons ago who filled a bath *with* the electric shower. I'd say it was cold by the time it was fully run...

If your bills have spiked then look at the split, but if you're talking about a minimum amount of money it seems like nit picking. It would appear that your tolerance for living with this person is coming to a point where stupid things are annoying you, personally from my experience i would nip this in the bud sooner rather than later for your own sanity.

OMD

cerise wrote: »

I will ask them to leave before water rates come in and have to put up with it for now.

Water charges will make very little difference. The cost is in heating the water not in the actual cost of the water itself. By the way if the hot water is being used a lot it is often more economical to leave on 24 hours a day. Sounds wrong but it often works out cheaper and means you are more likely to have hot water when you want it.

Ray Palmer

OMD wrote: »

Water charges will make very little difference. The cost is in heating the water not in the actual cost of the water itself. By the way if the hot water is being used a lot it is often more economical to leave on 24 hours a day. Sounds wrong but it often works out cheaper and means you are more likely to have hot water when you want it.

It depends on what type of boiler you have and it does actually cost more to do this no matter what. Heating water is one of the most expensive things to do with electricity. The boiler will also need replacing sooner too.

OP from what you are saying the lodger has basically refused to be in anyway considerate that would be enough for me to say leave. One thing to have an annoying habit but totally different to be informed of something and saying my desires are more important than yours.

K.Flyer

OMD wrote: »

.... By the way if the hot water is being used a lot it is often more economical to leave on 24 hours a day. Sounds wrong but it often works out cheaper and means you are more likely to have hot water when you want it.

Been there and tried it, it does not work!!.
4 adults in the house showering at different times so we thought we would try out that theory. We ended up with mega electric bills and hot water going to waste.
O.P.s lodger would still be using a disproportionate volume of hot water / energy, which the O.P. is having to pay for.

Graces7

do they still have meters for eg heating bathwater as they had in my younger days...we each thus prepaid our own.

hdowney

Sorry but two baths and two showers a day is ridiculous imo. Do they live in mud the entire rest of the time or something? And their inconsideration is just not on. Tell them to cop on, pay up or get out I'd say.

coolemon

Reign it in. The stress something like this causes. Its not even about the bills, but also the fact that you have no hot water yourself when you want to use it.

Tell them it needs to stop. And if it comes to getting another lodger, print out a set of rules and guidelines to set the matter straight. They have no excuses then when pulled on it.

Some people are extremely inconsiderate. Not just to other living with them, but to the environment. Imagine if 7 billion people had 2 baths and two showers a day?

Fcuking madness.

Victor

OMD wrote: »

By the way if the hot water is being used a lot it is often more economical to leave on 24 hours a day. Sounds wrong but it often works out cheaper and means you are more likely to have hot water when you want it.

No.

Mrs OBumble

OMD wrote: »

Water charges will make very little difference. The cost is in heating the water not in the actual cost of the water itself. By the way if the hot water is being used a lot it is often more economical to leave on 24 hours a day. Sounds wrong but it often works out cheaper and means you are more likely to have hot water when you want it.

It's also vastly safer in terms of Legionnaires disease.

But does require you to have a thermostat fitted, which apparently doesn't always happen here :rolleyes:

Wabbit Ears

Lifes to short for this cr@p, Just kick them out and be done with it.

L1011

Graces7 wrote: »

do they still have meters for eg heating bathwater as they had in my younger days...we each thus prepaid our own.

What?


If they're having 2 baths and 2 showers a day there's clearly something wrong with them and if they're unwilling to pay for the huge energy costs involved in this, get rid.

Graces7

MYOB wrote: »

What?


If they're having 2 baths and 2 showers a day there's clearly something wrong with them and if they're unwilling to pay for the huge energy costs involved in this, get rid.

what what!

when i lived in bedsitter land there was a coin meter outside the bathroom. when you wanted a bath you put 2 shillings in and waited.

amdublin

I'd give them notice to leave.
Or install an electric shower (remove the bath!)

JuliusCaesar

MYOB wrote: »

If they're having 2 baths and 2 showers a day there's clearly something wrong with them and if they're unwilling to pay for the huge energy costs involved in this, get rid.

The lodger is bathing twice a day, not 4 times. One bath/shower in the morning, one bath/shower in the evening.

Having had a number of lodgers I can tell you each of them has invariably had an annoying habit that needed to be sorted out. If it wasn't excessively long showers resulting in mildew and mold it was using the washing machine or the dryer daily, or taking every item of crockery into their room :rolleyes:. Imagine putting on a wash for 2 or 3 items of clothes. You can't cover every eventuality in an agreement, better just to say that consideration for the other people is essential and that utilities are expensive in Ireland (for those who come from abroad). Most continentals aren't used to our immersion heating system for water and think only the water being used is heated.

I wonder would airbnb be easier than a full-time lodger sometimes

vitani

cerise wrote: »

They are not that considerate of my needs and have said They need to have a bath Twice a day and shower twice a day and don't care if there is no hot water left for me to do dishes or shower etc. I will ask them to leave before water rates come in and have to put up with it for now.

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

The lodger is bathing twice a day, not 4 times. One bath/shower in the morning, one bath/shower in the evening.

Not how I'm reading it. Twice a day is not that out of the ordinary - I've lived with people who've done that. Four times a day is inconsiderate, and frankly, quite weird.

L1011

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

The lodger is bathing twice a day, not 4 times. One bath/shower in the morning, one bath/shower in the evening.

That's not what the original posts says, even if one morning/one evening would be a lot more logical.

Ann Landers

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's also vastly safer in terms of Legionnaires disease.

To reduce the risk from Legionnaire's Disease, you just need to run all your taps for a few minutes a few times a week. This is what we did in a highly regulated pharmaceutical environment. A domestic setting would need even less caution, TBH.

As for it being cheaper to have the water on 24 hours - no, just no.