Calculating Utility bills

Sure, the price of 1 unit depends on the total consumption in the year, so different dates produce different prices for you.

Eco-reduction depends on the number of registered persons as well. If the landlord has really registered you in the apartment - just pay the total amount for A bills. E- bills (estimated) can be incorrect in the first year.

Estimated bills are far to high  and do not have to be paid.

Put in the meter readings from when you first moved in to now, make sure you put in residential rate and the number of occupants and the ARMS calculator will tell you what you should have paid.

Deduct what you have paid the landlord to date and the remainder is what you owe (or what you are in credit).
Do it every couple of months and give a copy along with the amount due to your landlord.

Terry

tearnet wrote:

Estimated bills are far to high  and do not have to be paid.

Put in the meter readings from when you first moved in to now, make sure you put in residential rate and the number of occupants and the ARMS calculator will tell you what you should have paid.

Deduct what you have paid the landlord to date and the remainder is what you owe (or what you are in credit).
Do it every couple of months and give a copy along with the amount due to your landlord.

Terry

That's what I did, but it was coming out at under €600 for nine months, surely that's far too low?  That's why I changed the date to October.  When I did that the eco reduction vanished and the bill went up to just under €900. We used the air-conditioning quite a bit through summer, but they're all the eco inverter ones so a bit more energy efficient.  Still surely €600 is far too low for a three bed apartment.

The landlord hasn't mentioned about us possibly overpaying by so much, so I'm assuming he's waiting for an actual bill, rather that an estimate, but we will get in touch to see if he's had one yet.

If that's what it works out at then that's it, it will always depend on how carefully you use the water/ electric.

Not sure why your landlord is waiting for a bill as he can telephone the reading through and they send out a bill.
If you have been paying him the money each month then he should have paid it into the account and that would be shown and reflected in the estimated bill  (even if the estimated bill has not been paid).


Terry

tearnet wrote:

If that's what it works out at then that's it, it will always depend on how carefully you use the water/ electric.

Not sure why your landlord is waiting for a bill as he can telephone the reading through and they send out a bill.
If you have been paying him the money each month then he should have paid it into the account and that would be shown and reflected in the estimated bill  (even if the estimated bill has not been paid).


Terry

He never comes to the apartment, so he won't have taken a reading.  He's never asked for one either, so might not realise how far off the estimates are. We'll get in touch and send him the readings we've just taken because if that figure is right, we've already overpaid him by €750.

I suppose going from normal water pressure in France, to a trickle in the shower here has naturally reduced our water consumption. 

This thread is really interesting, I have a question myself about how the ARMS calculator would take into account the different price bands. So here it goes

1. Do those electricity meters get reset or will the number just keep going up?
2. If they're not reset how will you know what tier you're in i.e. are you still in the first 2.000 units for € 0.1047 or let's say the highest one over 20.000 units for € 0.6076? Or is this something only the landlord has access to?
3. There obviously has to be some form of "reset" so you're not paying for the highest band all the time - does this happen on Enemaltas side in their system automatically? And if yes, when? I assume it's the 1st January each year so would this also mean that you could get screwed moving into a property at the end of the year if the previous consumption put you into the highest band?

Thanks in advance!!
Melanie

The meters don't get reset they just go up. The amount charged is decided by ARMS based ( yearly I believe) on the registered details for your address.
That's why its important to check the details are correct and that at least some of the bills are based on actual readings and not estimates.
You can register with ARMS  and then send them  the actual readings.

This from the ARMS website....
Your eco-reduction is calculated on the number of registered consumers on your account. If your electricity account has one registered consumer and you consume less than 2000 electricity units during the whole year, a reduction of 25% on the electricity bill will apply. For residences with more than one person registered on the account, and where consumption is less than 1,750 units per person, a reduction of 25% per person will apply on the first 1,000 units and a further 15% per person will apply on the remaining 750 units.

Terry

Thanks Terry! Can we register with ARMS even if the bills are in the landlords name? Do you know if they would give any info on consumption so far or would this be confidential?

You need form h - it will add your names to property but bill still in landlords name but you get the domestic rate