Pre payment meter for landlords product search???

The Ghost · Jul 5, 2019

Hi all your favourite poster again. So asked to supply four/five pre-payment meters for landlord in revamp from bedsits to four flats. Large building. So far looked at JSG products which involve a card with various values charged up by the JSG for £5-10-20-50, sell them to the tenants and return for recharge. Sounds a bit too complex to me. Also any tenant can remove that meter and put a quarterly meter in as a right. Any ideas on products or solutions? Forget about money meters that is not going to work.

telectrix · Jul 5, 2019

if the flats' supply is coming from the landlord's supply, then the tenants can't have quarterly credit meters installed unless they have a separate supply from DNO/supplier. don't think tenants would want to pay for that.

buzzlightyear · Jul 5, 2019

RDL Meters - Manufacturer and supplier of coin, token and card operated electricity meters - http://rdlmeters.com/ those the ones I fit .

buzzlightyear · Jul 5, 2019

telectrix said:
if the flats' supply is coming from the landlord's supply, then the tenants can't have quarterly credit meters installed unless they have a separate supply from DNO/supplier. don't think tenants would want to pay for that.

small world this is , just a couple of hours ago when to see a new client about sorting the meters out in some flats on coin meters ground floor flat and up stairs , sub meters ,gas board are going to change sub meters says the customer .me dont think so .

The Ghost · Jul 5, 2019

Landlord is paying for all the work and whatever it takes to achieve it. Three phase supply in basement. One phase to grd flr office on a plastic DB with mixed MCB 16a for lighting 45a for sockets another phase to three phase MEM cab via a 3p isolator. So plan to balance out the phases and use all three up to distribution via a metered supply to each flat (x4) and the office, then up to each flat/office with 2/4 way CU at each flat/office. Although I think the energy supplier will have to supply the meters actually the landlord wants his own pre-payment which I am not sure is a viable idea. Background; it is all bedsits and the tenants use electric heaters which they leave on 24/7 and even go away for weeks and leave on causing an £8k electricity bill which the landlord wants to move away from. I will be saving him at least 10k a year if I get it right, which I will by the way.

buzzlightyear · Jul 5, 2019

Vortigern said:
which I am not sure is a viable idea. Background; it is all bedsits and the tenants use electric heaters which they leave on 24/7 and even go away for weeks and leave on causing an £8k electricity bill which the landlord wants to move away from. I will be saving him at least 10k a year if I get it right, which I will by the way.

sub metering too each flat is going to be a night mare ,but in each flat can be done ,but if the suppliers meter will be on the ground floor .or am i reading this write .me put in card metrers .

Charlie_ · Jul 5, 2019

KWH meters like the Hager EC150?
1 for each bedsit, landlord reads meter quarterly.?
Or he could go also go for off peak heating?

Deleted member 26818 · Jul 5, 2019

There’s no reason why the suppliers can’t install separate meters for each flat.
Either have all the meters in the basement, or wherever the supply enters the building, or extend the tails to each flat and have the meters installed in the flats.

Gavin John Hyde · Jul 5, 2019

Emlite EMA1 Smart Top Up Meter (Electricity Only) - JW Smartmeters

Electricity only version of the Emlite EMA1 Smart Top Up Meter. An exciting way for landlords to recharge for energy usage within their rental properties.

www.jwsmartmeters.co.uk

I have seen these in a some flats/bedsits recently. Can fit them and its all smart metered, apparently tenants goes online, tops up and its available instantly via built in sim card. Its cashless and cardless. So little chance of fraud.
If you can split out each bedsit on to its own small board then putting a meter on the submain or tails should be easier.

EDIT i just had a read and you can get add ons which meter the gas and water too. They clip on the pipes it seems, the electricmeter talks to them and credit comes off meter for gaa, water etc.could be a good option. Landlord covers all utilities.

The Ghost · Jul 6, 2019

Can't go for credit or money meters. They already have enough problems with tenants bypassing meters in various dangerous ways. So I bring the three phase supply up to the next floor and from there key meter through switched fuse up to each flat in swa to cu 3/4 way. I looked at the meters you talk of buzz again they are the same kerfuffle as the ones at JSG. Sending off cards for recharging and the cost of buying them as well as the logistics of selling or collecting cards money sounds like a long term hassle. Better to get the energy supplier to fit key meters then no hassle for the landlord and massively reduced costs. £71 per batch of cards, 115 for the meters x 5 plus the initial investment of charging 250 cards and collecting the money and banking it. That is the kind of thing that makes me lose the will to live. You are looking at an outlay of 1k for mats plus labour of £350(?) and all the future hassle, surely not, there has to be a better way.