To cut electricity in an outbuilding

[chivers67]

Do you use a lot of power? Is he being unreasonable or is your electrical consumption on the high side? If he's unreasonable I'd look to move somewhere else!

He probably has a smart meter and can see how much energy is being used. If there are no circuits in his house consuming much he can no doubt work out how much you're using?

 

[flameport]

If you want your own electricity supply, you will need to live in a property that has it's own supply, which would include it's own meter and you paying a utility company for the electricity.

Any property supplied from another building will be able to have the electricity disconnected in the way yours is.

I think that the problem is also electrical if my landlord has illegally messed up with the electricity.

Unlikely they have messed with anything. They are simply turning off the circuit breaker for the circuit that supplies your room.

 

[Taylortwocities]

All circuits must have:
1. A means of isolation and
2. A way of limiting the current so that the amount of electricity does not exceed the capacity of the cable.

In your landlords property there will something that provides the functions of 1 & 2 above.
This might be a circuit breaker in the landlord’s electrical panel, or a separate fuse and switch. This is essential to limit the load on the relatively small cable that runs to your lodging. It stops the cable catching fire if you decide to connect a kiln to the supply.
This is standard wiring regulations.

If you are having disputes over the amount of electricity used, the landlord could fit a private meter on the supply to your lodging. He can then charge you on the basis of actual amount of kWh used.
Second hand ones are cheap.
This sort of thing

Landis Gyr Single Phase Electric Meter - Refurbished | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Landis Gyr Single Phase Electric Meter - Refurbished at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

Be careful, it would be simple for him to fit a pre-payment meter and have you put £1 coins in to pre-pay for electric.

But look at your rental agreement, is it all inclusive of energy? He’d need to provide a new agreement if the terms change.
Or(as above) he could give you notice, or you could move elsewhere …

 

[matlob]

My landlord cut electricity from time to time in my room because he accuses me of using too much electricity but he cannot know how much I use because my room does not have it own counter.

If you are paying rent on the basis that all bills are included then he can't cut your supply
He's not messed with the electric supply, he is simply turning it off.

His bills have probably quadrupled like everyone else.

Why not talk to him and either say "my rent includes electric" or come to an agreement if you want to contribute. Either way he shouldn't be turning off your power. Are you in rent arrears or all up to date.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Do you have a safety certificate for the building?
Could the wiring be at fault and causing tripping inside the main house?
The landlord is responsible for ensuring that your installation is safe and MUST have a certificate.

Failure to supply electricity not due to a fault is classed as threatening behaviour

 

[matlob]

The landlord is turning it off because he's using too much.

 

[Auction]

It is possible also that my landlord is deranged and greedy. He does not know how much I use of electricity and he is worried that I use too much. He accuses me of using £20 of electricity per day which is impossible for a small room like mine which proves that he is not normal

Or another solution could be that he uses the electricity as an excuse to harass me because he want to push me out of the room to rent it to someone else with a new tenancy agreement with an increased the rent

Moreover, I am not convinced concerning the issue of him being able to cut the electricty to my room when he wants without having to entirely disconnect my room from the electric grid

 

[Taylortwocities]

@Auction he cannot do that. This is an electrician’s forum, so tenancy disputes are outside our skill set.
You need to get legal advice. Go to your local Citizen’s Advice Centre with your tenancy agreement.
They will tell you what steps you need to take.

 

[ericmark]

There are rules for accomodation to be considered inhabitable, they seem to be causing problems here in Wales where Land Lords have been saying enough is enough and have been getting out or the renting of building, they seem to be moving to mobile homes where building control is non existence as not a building.

Back in the past it was a agreement between tenant and landlord, but those days are gone.

However contacting the council can back fire, you could easy be looking for some where else to live.

My own house has what most would call a granny flat, there is no indepent heating or electric, and would not be fit to rent out without a lot of changes.

But the first step is look at what the EICR says, but this is not really an electric question, I would go to citizens advice as you could easy find yourself homeless.

 

[foxhole]

You are probably in an illegal rental situation . Maybe buy some candles .

 

[Taylortwocities]

However contacting the council can back fire, you could easy be looking for some where else

The Citizens Advice Centre is NOT THE COUNCIL. Anything discussed with them is confidential.

 

[winston1]

Moreover, I am not convinced concerning the issue of him being able to cut the electricty to my room when he wants without having to entirely disconnect my room from the electric grid

Well get convinced. You have been told all he has to do is switch off the MCB feeding your room.

 

[ericmark]

The Citizens Advice Centre is NOT THE COUNCIL. Anything discussed with them is confidential.

Yes that's why I said that, once council is told, they can't be untold.

You are probably in an illegal rental situation .

That is what I was also considering.

Well get convinced. You have been told all he has to do is switch off the MCB feeding your room.

Welcome back, we thought you had gone. But yes the landlord can clearly turn off power for repairs or if danger is found. However be it gas or electric removing the services is considered in the main to make the premises uninhabitable, and as electricians if we can't reinstate power, we should find alternative accommodation, however the rules say nothing about who should pay for it, so rather pointless.

If we consider a standard MCB feeding a granny flat, the largest MCB for most consumer units is around 45 amp, and since 100 amp is often the total supply, to supply a granny flat with 45 amp does seem reasonable. However cooking the Sunday dinner and having a shower at the same time could easy trip a 45 amp MCB, so if reasonable care is not taken to prevent an overload, then one has to expect it to trip.

I have lived in a caravan for 2 years with just a 10 amp supply, and rare to get over a 16 amp supply, so to have a 16 amp supply has to be considered reasonable. Although could not run an electric shower with that supply.

 

[Mottie]

Reading your earlier posts, are you living in a converted garage in somebody's garden? Does it comply with all building regulations?

Is the building legally rented?
Does it have planning?

Do you contribute the the electric costs or just pay a set rate for rent? Do you have a rental agreement showing this?

@Auction. Well?

 

[bernardgreen]

@Auction. Well?

Hopefully the water supply ( if any ) is better than that.