Device that cuts power if too much is used for a long time

[ringi]

I think you need to either find a way of billing them fairly for the power they use, or adjusting the rent to take into account potential electricity usage. Its going to be simpler in the long run, and fairer for both sides. Trying to tell them what they can/can't do it overly restrictive and I think you could open yourself to a legitimate complaint(s).

I may well do this, maybe only charging a tenant if there usage is a lot more than other tenants.

(However anyone that is aiming at the DSS end of the market finds it very hard to get money out of a tenant and finds it hard to adjust the rent as tenants just expect to pay the housing benefit level.)

 

[westie101]

There must be something on the market somewhere. I have a good friend who lives near Milan in Italy. They have a 40A Max supply which does trip at the figure.
Last time I saw her we had a discussion about load management.

 

[topper harley]

If they use too much leccy, you could always punish them by turning off the water.

 

[paulc2]

Its not a simple thing though - you're not cutting off on a fixed (instantaneous) power usage amount. The OP wants to allow eg hairdryer but not fan heater. What you'd need to design, is a device which meters Ah (or kWh) used over a period of time, and decide on a time-averaged threshold to cut off. What that time (an hour? 5 mins? A day? A week?) would be, is open to debate too.

Also, if you go for the metering option, and try to 'sell' electricity to them, by law you must sell it at the same rate as you're paying for it. Effectively you're becoming a 2nd tier power supplier, etc. Caravan pitches and boat marinas are obliged to do this, although they can also charge a service charge for the provision of electricity and a one off cost for the meter.

Did someone earlier mention pre-pay cards?

 

[RF Lighting]

Pre payment meter in each room for the sockets, and no sockets in the communal areas, so kettle etc is hard wired into an FCU.

Give them a £5 voucher every week or what ever.

 

[ringi]

Its not a simple thing though - you're not cutting off on a fixed (instantaneous) power usage amount. The OP wants to allow eg hairdryer but not fan heater. What you'd need to design, is a device which meters Ah (or kWh) used over a period of time

Maybe it could be done in a simple way if it was mass produced. What about a bi-metal strip inside a thermal insulated container that is heated at the same rate the power is used. If the rate of heating is low enough and the rate of heat loss in controlled…..

 

[topper harley]

Good idea RF Lighting, but it only solves 1 of the problems (financial). This does not prevent a tenant from using a heater for an extended
period of time, so there is still the fire risk that the OP was concerned about.

Really depends on the where the landlords priorities lie. Money or fire safety.

Lets see what the OP says.

 

[flyingsparks]

Pre payment meter in each room for the sockets, and no sockets in the communal areas, so kettle etc is hard wired into an FCU.

Give them a £5 voucher every week or what ever.

Exactly what I was thinking too. Not sure why it hadn't been suggested earlier in this thread but I guess the fire risk from using heaters is still there.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Hair straighteners are probably more of a fire hazard than a hair dryer, which usually has overheat protection.

Without a programme of (ir)regular inspections, the landlord has no way of controlling the use of candles, gel fires, chip pans and other fire hazards.

Provide a 13A socket wired through a
http://www.elkay.co.uk/product.asp?id=2&catid=1
for hairdryer and similar use, and wire all the other sockets through a couple of 3A RCBOs inaccessible to the tenants.

(RCBOs so they can't common different circuits to get 6A or a kilowatt out of it!)