Landlord tampering with electricity

outnumbered

Hi everyone,

So i moved into my new apartment tuesday night. There was 15 euro in the meter. It has since used 11 euro. I haven't used the cooking facilities yet ( haven't even boiled a kettle!), i rarely used the lights as i went out at night and haven't been home much. The electric heaters haven't been used. The only thing the is regularly being used is the fridge and the heating for the shower. It apparently heats really early and uses the low cost electricity to do so.

At home, we also have a meter. But 15 would usually suffice for a family of 3, with hair driers/straighners being used, cookers going all the time, showers for 3 each day, etc etc.

I wouldn't suspect anything if it was a legit ESB meter. The one installed is an old black thing the displays the price in pounds. To add to the suspicion, the electricity cards MUST be purchased from the landlord's own apartment.

Now i just feel like I'm being robbed. What will he do when the water charges come in as well...

Where do I stand? Can he legally resell electricity? How can i prove its being tampered with? How should i go about getting it sorted?

Theres two more tenants to move in thursday and with winter approaching the price will be extortionate. As a student, i cannot afford this kind of price.

If its 15 a week per person, thats 180 euro a month and that is without cooking and summer time with no heat!! Surely that can't be right, can it?

Help!

Peregrinus

Have you tried ringing the ESB and saying that you suspect the meter is faulty, and asking them to inspect it?