Crescent House - problems with flat?

[Laura M]

Hi all,

My partner and myself moved into Crescent House (3rd floor) last summer, we love it here so far but have been battling quite a number of problems with the flat itself and are considering moving out just for those reasons... Our private landlord is really unhelpful and unresponsive so it's been quite a nightmare trying to get advice or help.

I was wondering if any of you share the same problems as we do? We're very aware that the flat is grade listed which also means it's very energy un-efficient but our flat is bone cold and our bills seem ridiculously high!

1. Despite having our heating on (useless night storage heaters) our flat is freezing.

2. We have a recurring mould problem in various parts of the flat. We clean this regularly and have bought dehumidifiers but can't seem to get rid of it entirely. Condensation also floods our windows and while the dehumidifier helps, it doesn't solve the problem. Do any of you have an extractor hood in the kitchen? Our landlord has said that installing one is against the listing status, but have noticed some flats do...

3. Our electric bills seem awfully high although we're both hardly in... We both work long hours and turn off lights/switches/appliances when not using, charge the hot water for 2 hours during non-peak only. Even before the heating came on our average bill was about £70pm and we're on the cheapest tariff from First Direct!

It would be good to know if any of you experience the same problems? Am not sure if we're alone on this or if it's a building-wide problem.

Thanks all!

[Lee Studley]

Hi I also live in Crescent House on the second floor and have lived here since 2009.

I very rarely put my heating on because it doesn't really do anything, I sometimes use the heating in the sleeping area and the bathroom, I also get a lot of condensation on my windows and use a Karcher which I probably need to empty about 3 times.

With regards to your electric bill that does seem quite high I live on my own and pay less than £30 a month.

[Laura M]

Thanks for your reply. Can I ask which electric provider you are with?

Lee Studley said:

Hi I also live in Crescent House on the second floor and have lived here since 2009.

I very rarely put my heating on because it doesn't really do anything, I sometimes use the heating in the sleeping area and the bathroom, I also get a lot of condensation on my windows and use a Karcher which I probably need to empty about 3 times.

With regards to your electric bill that does seem quite high I live on my own and pay less than £30 a month.

[Lee Studley]

I'm with EDF.

[Richard]

Unfortunately most of us on the estate suffer with similar problems. I recently bought a dehumidifier but it hasn't really helped.

I live on my own in a studio flat and my energy bill is dearer than a friend of mine who lives in a three bedroom flat in west London with two other people.

I used to be with EDF but switched to OVO about a year ago and am now paying £10 less at the moment and was paying about £18 less in the summer. Providing you stay in credit, they even pay you interest on your balance.

If anyone is interested in switching to them let me know. They have an offer on at the moment and if I refer someone and they sign up, we both get a £25 voucher. ( I think they are for Argos, Amazon & M&S )

[nathan]

I have a lot of information I could share with you regarding all of the above.

[Kirill Arakcheev]

I would also appreciate if you could share that, as I'm facing very similar issues in Crescent House.

[Dave Butcher]

Hi, I don't know if any of these ideas will help but here goes:

Gas and Electricity: Go to 'Martin Lewis' and look in the relevant section. I believe his price comparisons are independent unlike some others. 'Which' is definitely independent though you do have to be a member. I generally go for a 12 month contract and one month before that ends I switch to the next best deal available. Check dates carefully so as to avoid any penalties for switching too early. Savings can be significant

Water: I recently asked Thames Water to assess our two bedroom flat in Hatfield House for a water meter. They came round and after a short assessment said no, because we share a communal tank with everyone else, BUT, the guy said we would therefore qualify for a cheaper tarriff. That saves around £100 a year.

Mould and damp: Get some HG mould spray. You can get it at City Hardware [downstairs] but its half the price if you buy it online. City hardware also told me that putting salt in a small tray soaks up condensation. I tried it and it up to a point it does work and its very cheap.