SIGforum.com Main Page The Lounge If I'm paying my landlord for the use of his utilities, is it okay for him to mark up the price he pays?
Main Page The Lounge If I'm paying my landlord for the use of his utilities, is it okay for him to mark up the price he pays?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| Oh stewardess, I speak jive.  |
Sounds wonky. Definitely worth investigating. Maybe worth bringing up/objecting. | |||
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| Green grass and high tides  |
i find many of the response's here indicative of problems in our society. Like you are entitled to something other than what the landlord offers. I rented many places in my younger years. Never did I question what my landlord was offering. If I did not like it, I left. When I could, barely. I bought my own place and that ended any potential issues such as this. "Practice like you want to play in the game" | |||
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| Member |
THIS. If you agreed to pay $0.30 a KWH in your lease, that is what you agreed to in a binding contract and that is what you're paying until the lease is up, plain and simple. Enforceable by a court of law! | |||
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Where did he say it's in his lease? All his lease says is that some different utilities are included. | |||
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| Oh stewardess, I speak jive. |
The poor reading comprehension in this thread is indicative of what's wrong in this country, as the OP clearly stated in a follow up post that such details are NOT spelled out in the lease. Did you guys miss that post entirely?  | |||
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| Member |
Just part of the "cause", those that can helping those who can't. A small part in leveling the playing field... | |||
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posting without pants |
How is the bill calculated? Does he get the bill, for say 100 dollars, and then charge you 120 dollars? Or does he estimate the bill based upon history and charge you a fee, plus the percentage, added on to the rent? Strive to live your life so when you wake up in the morning and your feet hit the floor, the devil says "Oh crap, he's up." | |||
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| Purveyor of Fine Avatars  |
I'm responsible for calculating what I owe him by subtracting what my current KwH rate is from the previous month using the meter that is solely for my cottage, but he gave me the rate on a handwritten note. I never thought about it until I tripped off something that was posted on a site I was visiting today. "I'm yet another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet raised to an alarming extent by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, poised with my cynical and alienated peers to take over the world when you're old and weak!" - Calvin, "Calvin & Hobbes" | |||
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Ammoholic |
WAG here. He's probably charging the highest tier rate to you, that way he covers taxes and fees and maybe makes a small profit. Or he's just using it to make a few extra bucks off of the rent. If it was the agreed upon rate or that has been business as usual for the entire time, then it's take it or leave it I'd imagine. In the end what do you pay for electric? Do you pay sewer and water? Trash? Cable? Phone? Lawn service? Internet? It could be a way of simplifying all of the utilities, he overcharges your for one and not charge you for others maybe? Either way, how much do you pay, is it worth leaving a place you are otherwise happy with? Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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| Member |
I would just confront him with the signed contract and read it word for word, then apologize and slowly back away when you realize what you signed for. | |||
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| Purveyor of Fine Avatars |
No, it's not worth leaving. You make a good point about the other services he doesn't charge me for.
Maybe you should be the one slowly backing off. I've already stated that the utilities I'm responsible for are not outlined on the contract. "I'm yet another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet raised to an alarming extent by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, poised with my cynical and alienated peers to take over the world when you're old and weak!" - Calvin, "Calvin & Hobbes" | |||
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| Get my pies outta the oven!  |
When is your lease up? I'd bring it up then in a negotiation but think you may be stuck with that for now. That rate is nuts though. My base KwH is 6 cents but once I factor in the transmission fees, taxes and BS "customer charge" my utility adds each month it's right around 12 cents per KwH. | |||
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Member |
So, sounds like your electricity consumption is measured but for billing it's combined with overall property usages and applied to a tiered rate system. Assumptions here but I'd guess that you're overpaying for your electricity since you're probably using less than the main house and most of your usage qualifies for the lowest rate tier. That being said, the difference is probably not material, probably a cost for convenience, and you probably average out nicely overall with your lease. I might not sweat it unless you really feel you are being taken advantage of, overall, in leasing there. "Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy "A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book | |||
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אַרְיֵה |
The actual kwh usage on my bill is just a portion of the total amount I pay each month. There is a substantial fixed charge that does not vary with usage, it's a charge for just "being there." There are taxes, municipal fees, and other junk fees added, over and above the fixed costs and kwh usage charge. If there is a separate meter for your cottage, you might ask to be billed directly by the utility company, but I have a nice shiny new nickel and I'll bet that you won't come out ahead by doing that, because of all the other fees over and above the kwh usage charges. הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים | |||
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Don't Panic |
CA is the land of tax-and-spend, so don't forget taxes, which won't show on PGE rates. SF has a "Utilities User Tax" of 7.5% RE: marking it up. I think that would be up to the provisions of the lease. Unless there is some provision requiring the utilities to be passed through at cost or included in the rent, the landlord wouldn't be constrained. It being SF, though, there might be some local ordinances to check. | |||
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| Purveyor of Fine Avatars |
Thanks for the explanations guys. I think I'll just drop the subject and revisit it when my lease expires in a couple months. "I'm yet another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet raised to an alarming extent by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, poised with my cynical and alienated peers to take over the world when you're old and weak!" - Calvin, "Calvin & Hobbes" | |||
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Enjoy Computer Living |
Why would you think PG&E generates only hydro power? They get power from multiple sources: 2014 PG&E Power Content About 9% comes from hydro. -Loungechair | |||
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any business transaction that lasts longer than a couple of months deserves a look at the big picture. Does he address issues that you present to him in a courteous and prompt manner ? Does he leave you the hell alone until you need him? Can you depend on him in case of an emergency ? Safety, Situational Awareness and proficiency. Neck Ties, Hats and ammo brass, Never ,ever touch'em w/o asking first | |||
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| Member |
The landlord is reselling electricity? I would think that may not be OK. If an item is not addressed in the lease, it doesn't exist. There are not do overs unless both sides agree and sign the proposed agreement. IMO | |||
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SIGforum.com Main Page The Lounge If I'm paying my landlord for the use of his utilities, is it okay for him to mark up the price he pays?
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