preventing use of electric heaters

[Bluehair]

Electrically you could replace all the sockets with ones with 1A circuit breakers. That limits them to 250 watts or so per socket. Supply a hard-wired kettle and hairdryer.

However the temptation will then be to over-ride the circuit breakers somehow. Getting bayonet adapters off ebay and running the heaters off the lighting circuit ....

If you can't manage the tenants by frequent room inspections and enforcing a no-heaters rule, you need to bill them.

Why are they using portable heaters? Do you not provide central heating? You could provide fixed heaters on time switches, press for 1 hour heat. At least that would stop them leaving heaters on continuously when they go out.

I have a feeling that the OP is renting out a ****hole.

 

[EFLImpudence]

And a cold one at that.

OP, you could always supply a less inefficient form of heating - oil-filled radiators ???

 

[SimonH2]

I wonder if this is the same property as the one with the gas boiler, and now he's managed to throttle them back on that, they've switched to electric heaters.

 

[sparkwright]

If your tenants don't pay the electricity bill, and they are tossers, then you have to expect them to be wasteful. I doubt if they switch lights off when leaving a room.

Limiting their power is probably against their contract, and hard to do anyway. Restricting their power may cause them to do something dangerous.

You should change the contract as soon as possible, so they are metered and pay for what they use.

 

[sparkiemike]

Caravan site owners have the same problem, their industry has solutions where customers use pre payment metering with cards.

I have a come across a few customers (landlords) who don't provide seperate metering becuase they wanted to avoid the up front DNO costs (it might also be some kind of tax dodge as well) - eventually it always bites them in the ar5e.

 

[SimonH2]

Caravan site owners also have the problems of trying to manage peak demand without restricting what users can reasonably do. As for separate metering, apart from having separate supplies from the DNO, the landlord also has the option of installing his own meters - though that means he also has to collect the money.

 

[iffy100]

Including power use in the rent is the best way to manage the kind of thing im doing. However with everything, there is always a drawback. I have another idea. Is it possible to fit a voltage recorder to the sockets and light switch in the rooms? This way I could check the meter at the end of the month and charge appropriately?

 

[phatboy]

The voltage would always show 230v though, so that wouldn't help.

You need a device that measures current.... this is an electricity meter......

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Including power use in the rent is the best way to manage the kind of thing im doing.

Apparently it is not. That's why you are here.

This way I could check the meter at the end of the month and charge appropriately?

Not under the terms of your current tenancy agreements.

 

[SimonH2]

Including power use in the rent is the best way to manage the kind of thing im doing.

I have to agree with BAS, it doesn't appear to be the best option since you are asking about alternatives.

Is it possible to fit a voltage recorder to the sockets and light switch in the rooms? This way I could check the meter at the end of the month and charge appropriately?

What you need is a power meter AND a change of tenancy agreement terms - which is exactly what you've had suggested, rejected as unsuitable, and now come back asking if it would work ! You will almost certainly not be able to charge extra for electricity under your current agreement(s), so you will need to give notice on those (I trust you are aware of the strict rules on how/when that can be done) and offer the tenants a new tenancy agreement.

 

[Bluehair]

The voltage would always show 230v though

It might do if the landlord has fitted a VPhase.