Renting Problems

[Murphy]

Moving in to a new rented house at Uni for my 3rd year and we've got to do the usual rigmarole of signing up for Gas/Electricity/Water.

We've had an offer from a company called Glade that they can provide our Gas/Electric/Water at a price of £12.50 a week per person which equated to £50 a month (obviously with some variability if we go over or under the quoted price with our usage). For a 3 person rented house, is that a good deal, or would we be better off seeking separate providers?

Obviously went through all of this last year, but wasn't aware of this company then. Any feedback/help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Veggie Legs]

£150 a month in total sounds very expensive to me, I think you should be paying about half that.

Shop around a bit gas and electricity, it'll almost certainly be cheaper to get both from the same supplier than separately. Most companies offer fixed term, fixed price deals but I don't know if that's suitable for you given you want it for less than a year.

 

[SUTSS]

Moving in to a new rented house at Uni for my 3rd year and we've got to do the usual rigmarole of signing up for Gas/Electricity/Water.

We've had an offer from a company called Glade that they can provide our Gas/Electric/Water at a price of £12.50 a week per person which equated to £50 a month (obviously with some variability if we go over or under the quoted price with our usage). For a 3 person rented house, is that a good deal, or would we be better off seeking separate providers?

Obviously went through all of this last year, but wasn't aware of this company then. Any feedback/help would be greatly appreciated.

Is this Glide rather than Glade? If so I have some experience of dealing with them from my brief period working in student home maintenance.

It is expensive at least on the face of it. They charge a fix rate per month which is higher than you'd likely get elsewhere. This is to protect themselves from people taking the piss. If you keep a record of your energy usage you can get a pretty decent rebate at the end of the year.

You're at the UEA right? Pm me with who you're renting from as there are little things that some agencies try to get a bit of money out of you as the year goes on and I might know that company's tricks.

 

[Murphy]

Ecotricity offers gas/electric at £15.82 a month for each person which is considerably better, but that's without water and that's the one thing we didn't deal with last year as we lived above a shop, and for whatever reason, the shopkeeper paid our water bill.

 

[NorfolkWomble]

Where abouts you living Murphy btw? Golden Triangle?

 

[Murphy]

Where abouts you living Murphy btw? Golden Triangle?

Swansea Road, just off the Avenues. Lived on Colman Road last year and got it all sorted bills wise fairly quick, hard when there's 3 in a house compared to 4

 

[NorfolkWomble]

Swansea Road, just off the Avenues. Lived on Colman Road last year and got it all sorted bills wise fairly quick, hard when there's 3 in a house compared to 4

Literally around the corner from me, Park Lane lol.

 

[appletablepenny]

£150 per month for gas, electricty and water sounds OK to me. I pay £196 for a 2 adult, 2 children household.

 

[Abertawe]

Fake name, giro slip, pay first two months, never pay again, leave house.

 

[Abertawe]

Swansea Road, just off the Avenues. Lived on Colman Road last year and got it all sorted bills wise fairly quick, hard when there's 3 in a house compared to 4

Can I just say what an excellent choice of name for a road.

 

[mowgli]

The cheapest gas i found was with co-op energy and electricity with Ovo.

 

[spireite]

£150 is probably about par if it's shared accommo. We pay about £80 for power, and £40 for water p/m. But like someone says above it's an estimate which are usually overshot to protect themselves, so give them a meter reading from your power and water meter now, and then again at the end of the year. Bear in mind this could backfire if you guys use the tumbledryer and dishwasher every day so be careful

 

[Mr. Scruff]

Utillities are outrageously expensive back home. When I told my wife how much I used to pay she nearly had a heart attack.

I'm not sure exactly how much I pay in China but including the one off central heating fee for winter I'd imagine it wouldnt be much more than 30 pounds a month. obviously part of that is down to the general level of the economy, poor water quality and burning lots of cheap coal but I can't help but feel utillity prices would be a lot better if the government actually took reponsibility for them instead of allowing a load of parysitic leaches a license to print money.

 

[blade1889]

Same position as Murphy, 5 person house. Currently with npower who estimate (no idea how that works...) we'd be spending £1200 a year on gas and electricity. On Octopus energy I could get the estimate down to £900 on a 12 month fixed rate.

Does that sound accurate? Seems really cheap to me

I'm used to landlords charging £20 each a week for gas/internet/electricity/water (ours has corvettes everything bar gas/leccy)

 

[Veggie Legs]

In my two person household we pay about £600 a year for gas and electricity. It doesn't scale linearly because things like heating aren't going to be much more for an extra person, but £900 sounds pretty reasonable to me.

 

[Murphy]

If I've signed up to a property and the Inventory says that there is 'UPVC Double glazing throughout', when in fact only one room has double glazing, do I have a legal right (or something or other) to demand the property be fitted with double glazing?

ALSO, I was still paying rent on my previous rented property up until the 31st July. We had allowed the estate agents to conduct a moving out inspection on the 28th. When we returned to the property on the 29th, the landlady was already back in the property sorting things out/living there. Given that we were still paying rent for that month, do we have a legal right to claim breach of contract in that instance? Because even though we agreed to the moving out inspection of the property, we did not agree (and at no point did it say anywhere) that the landlady would be moving back in while we were still paying rent.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

If I've signed up to a property and the Inventory says that there is 'UPVC Double glazing throughout', when in fact only one room has double glazing, do I have a legal right (or something or other) to demand the property be fitted with double glazing?

At a guess, no. You'd probably have the right to void the contract but I'm guessing you'd not want to do that. You may be able to negotiate a small reduction on the rent.

ALSO, I was still paying rent on my previous rented property up until the 31st July. We had allowed the estate agents to conduct a moving out inspection on the 28th. When we returned to the property on the 29th, the landlady was already back in the property sorting things out/living there. Given that we were still paying rent for that month, do we have a legal right to claim breach of contract in that instance? Because even though we agreed to the moving out inspection of the property, we did not agree (and at no point did it say anywhere) that the landlady would be moving back in while we were still paying rent.

Again, only guessing but I'd assume yes, although what you'd gain from it I don't know. If you suffered a loss because of this (i.e. you were in effect homeless) you could probably claim compensation but if you had no intention in living there, it probably wouldn't be worth the hassle. Again, perhaps suggest a reimbursement of the 3 days.

 

[Murphy]

Thanks Cheese & Biscuits, the 1st one I can live with but the 2nd thing about the landlady moving back in I thought was a bit of a cheek.

 

[NorfolkWomble]

We've been given a 3 draw freezer for 6 people. Seems a bit small no?

 

[blade1889]

Thanks Cheese & Biscuits, the 1st one I can live with but the 2nd thing about the landlady moving back in I thought was a bit of a cheek.

I'd be the opposite tbh.

You're losing out on the first one but not the second. If they've said there would be double glazing throughout then I'd have thought you could challenge that as a breach of contract, at least try and push them into double glazing it or giving you a discount for the extra energy bills you'll have as a result.

The second bit may seem a bit cheeky but you're not losing out as a result of it, you weren't going to be living there anyway so it's not like she's evicted you before the end of your tenancy. Most landlords require you to be out of your house for up to a week before the end of your tenancy anyway (even though you're still paying the rent...at least that's what's happened in my experience) so they can get it ready for the next bunch of people.

 

[blade1889]

We've been given a 3 draw freezer for 6 people. Seems a bit small no?

Yes, some landlords are nice and will change that for you if you ask but they aren't obliged to as far as I'm aware.

My landlady this year is great. We have persuaded her to give us a bigger fridge/freezer, put up more shelving and she has also replaced the washing machine/dryer (cos the dryer didn't work properly), dish washer and the downstairs shower.

 

[Murphy]

I'd be the opposite tbh.

You're losing out on the first one but not the second. If they've said there would be double glazing throughout then I'd have thought you could challenge that as a breach of contract, at least try and push them into double glazing it or giving you a discount for the extra energy bills you'll have as a result.

The second bit may seem a bit cheeky but you're not losing out as a result of it, you weren't going to be living there anyway so it's not like she's evicted you before the end of your tenancy. Most landlords require you to be out of your house for up to a week before the end of your tenancy anyway (even though you're still paying the rent...at least that's what's happened in my experience) so they can get it ready for the next bunch of people.

There's a month between our tenancy ending and the new tenancy for whoever lives there next, beginning, though.

 

[Murphy]

Renting company have returned with this..

"Just to confirm there was no agreement that double glazing would be carried out at No **, and the inventory company who carry out the inventories have made a mistake it should say part UPVC as there is one UPVC window. There will be no change in the rent regarding windows."

 

[SUTSS]

If I've signed up to a property and the Inventory says that there is 'UPVC Double glazing throughout', when in fact only one room has double glazing, do I have a legal right (or something or other) to demand the property be fitted with double glazing?

ALSO, I was still paying rent on my previous rented property up until the 31st July. We had allowed the estate agents to conduct a moving out inspection on the 28th. When we returned to the property on the 29th, the landlady was already back in the property sorting things out/living there. Given that we were still paying rent for that month, do we have a legal right to claim breach of contract in that instance? Because even though we agreed to the moving out inspection of the property, we did not agree (and at no point did it say anywhere) that the landlady would be moving back in while we were still paying rent.

On the first one: 100% raise that with the letting agents and any emails that they said this in the past. Highly doubt you'd have a chance at getting it refitted but they might reduce a fee or something to avoid a headache at some point. Certainly need to document it.

Second one is a grey area I think. You'd left the property and after the check out inspection has taken place there is usually something in the contract saying you can't return after that date. You're with the same company yes? Raising both points may get something out of them.