Landlord reduced heating to 4 hours - Plumbing Forum | Plumbers Forums

cyberbird · 09-10-2008

Hi all,

I hope somebody can please give me some central heating advice.

I live in a block of 6 flats and we have a shared central heating system with a boiler outside in its own boiler room. This boiler is about 20 years old and just keeps on working. All 6 flats have to pay a share of the bills, but it's not split evenly (seel later).

3 of the flats have gradually been bought up by the landlord and he has fitted his own combi-boilers in them and has been threatening to turn the communal boiler off. 1 other flat is considering installing a combi-boiler but 2 flats want to continue with a communal system. Well in return I've been threatening legal action if he does turn the communal boiler off and he hasn't actually turned it off but he's reduced the supply to 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. I've been to the solicitors about this and although he can't actually turn it off, it is a lot less clear (based on the wording of the lease) how many hours worth of heating he has to supply. I can apply for an injunction but it could end up with me paying £4000 of my own costs and £4000 of his costs if I lose.

Anyway, now to the central heating questions.

One of the other flat owners has suggested we share the costs of gas. The way central heating costs are worked out at present is on size of the flat. My flat only pays 8% of the communal bill. The other interested party pays 9%. The other 4 flats pay 83% between them. How accurate is this method of calculating each flats share? Would the two flats interested in carrying on with a communal boiler expect to pay the same in gas if the boiler just heated our flats?

Is it worth continuing with the current 20 year old boiler (central heating only)? How much cheaper in terms of the cost of gas would a new commercial grade boiler be?

If myself and the other flat owner decide to take over the boiler for our own use only, how important, in terms of cost of gas, would it be to minimise the pipework? Could we get away with just making sure that no radiators in the other flats are connected to the system. There are 4 one bed flats and 2 bedsits spread over 3 floors. It would seem to me that pumping all this water around the house would make it cool down quicker, or are the pipes so small that it's not worth considering?

The other option we're considering is fitting combi-boilers in our flats. Is it allowed to fit combi-boilers in bathrooms?

Any help greatly appreciated.

justlead1 · 13-10-2008

Hi. Being both a plumber and landlord my first thought on reading your post are, if you have got the four grand to bring the case to court., Why not stick it down as a deposit on your own place and get the .... out. I would also ask the question why reduce the hours if you and yours are paying the gas bill. If the landlord is charging a percentage on the gas used to finance system and boiler maintenance, the more you use the more he gets. Live and let live Good Luck

mcmoby69 · 14-10-2008

i am a plumber and landlord too. sounds like this bloke is a right tosser!. solicitors are out to make money out of you so dont go there! save your four grand for a deposit or bond and move out! find a new landlord and wave goodbye with your index and middle finger on both hands! leave your flat in good nick and you will get your deposit back. you will be wasting money paying over the odds on a 20 yr old boiler anyway.