local282's Profile
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February 17, 2010
Heating Cost Question
We moved into our second-floor, one-bedroom apartment a year ago, and have had a very cordial (if distant) relationship with our landlord. His English is not great, and we always pay our rent on time and are generally self-sufficient, so there hasn't been need for much contact.
Last week, I got a call from one of the guys who works for the landlord (there are a few young men who do odd jobs around the building, I don't know if they are hired or family). He was yelling at me about the heating bill for the past month. The thermostat for the entire building is in our apartment, but we've never adjusted it. The temperature has never been a problem, and we always assumed that it wasn't connected, or was broken (there's a clock in the thermostat that has never worked).
I explained that to the guy on the phone, who was incredulous. He yelled that we were taking advantage of them for letting us control the heat by turning it up. I asked him to come over and to take a look at it, and he calmed down. Someone came by on Saturday, and changed the batteries (who knew?) in the thermostat. The clock now works, and the guy set the thermostat for daytime and nighttime settings, which seem to be working.
He then told my boyfriend that he should turn the heat off during the day -- that the people who lived there before always did. This seems unbelievable -- both that someone would agree to shut off the heat to the whole building during the daytime (my boyfriend works from home, there is a small office on the first floor, and a single mother and her seven-year-old son on the third floor), but also that the particular previous tenants would (they had a two-year-old girl who was home all day with a full-time nanny). We could call the previous tenants to confirm, but confirmation that we're right will just end up in a he-said, she-said with the landlord, and being right isn't worth it.
My boyfriend asked if he could see a copy of the bill, but the guy wasn't interested in sharing it. After we have lived there for twelve months without touching the thermostat, it seems like something must be funny with the bill for the past month. Either the company was charging estimated costs and finally checked the meter (causing a huge, one-time overage), or heating costs went up with the first of the year, or something else we haven't thought of.
Has this situation happened to anyone? We really don't want to have a contentious relationship with the landlord, nor do we want to be responsible for shutting off the heat to the building during the day, but without a copy of the bill we're having a hard time figuring out the cause of the cost increase.
August 22, 2009
Gowanus Houses
Does anyone know what's going on tonight? There are around 10 police cars, wagons, an ambulance, and several officers in bullet-proof vests...
Author's Comments
local282 wrote a review about La Petite Provence on February 5, 2010 2:47 PM
We had a really cozy dinner at La Petite Provence -- it was inexpensive (especially because it is BYOB!), and very tasty. Our server was charming and generous with their fresh-baked bread. We'll be going back soon!
We used Movers Not Shakers last spring, and they were great: 718.243.0221
Posted by: local282 at December 30, 2009 3:42 PM in response to Brooklyn Movers?
I had a lovely dinner at the newly-opened La Petit Provence on Smith St. last weekend; it would be great if Brownstoner would feature them and get the word out about this new restaurant!
Posted by: local282 at November 18, 2009 1:56 PM in response to Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
It's a moot point. It's in your apartment, set it where you think it's appropriate.
I suspect you're right about many estimates and then finally catching up.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 17, 2010 3:24 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
simple solution:
suggest to him that he install a sensor in your apt and the thermostat wherever he wants, then he can control it however he wants. but then you might be cold.....
Posted by: maxsdad at February 17, 2010 3:27 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
The city has heat and hot water regulations a landlord has to meet during heating season, and all year long. You can read them at: http://bit.ly/9MpuLZ
Any landlord who's worried about a tenant adjusting settings can always install a locked guard over the thermostat. You're better off agreeing to adjust "as necessary" because if the LL or his helpers catch an attitude and lock the device, you'll find the legal minimum of 55° at night to be mighty cold.
Posted by: vinca at February 17, 2010 3:27 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
he wants you to turn it off everyday for him? tell him you're not his thermobi+ch and if he expects you to be ask for a rent reduction. sounds like he totally over reacted as well. in most cases like this im never on the tenants side, but in this case your landlord sounds like the loon.
*rob*
Posted by: Butterfly at February 17, 2010 3:27 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
Haha...my old landlord installed a lock on my thermastat. I just picked it when I got cold.
Posted by: cillmylandlord_again at February 17, 2010 3:30 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
Bite the bullet for a day or two and turn it off completely. Hopefully everybody else will start calling 311 and complaining about the lack of heat. The LL will beg you to turn it up.
Posted by: modsquad at February 17, 2010 3:34 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
There is actually a term for the thing that turns the heat off during the day: a thermostat. There's no difference if a human being does it or if a thermocouple triggers it. Just tell them to keep the batteries fresh, lock it up if they want, and remind them what the law is (somewhere between 55 and 60, after mid October or when the outside temp drops to a certain level - I think vinca's got the link). They can obey the law any way they choose. You are in no way involved in the LL's obligation to civilization.
Besides freaking out about the heating bill, the LL would be even more sensible to address some weatherproofing - did they put stripping on your windows, address drafts, etc? A friendly reminder to do that would go a long long way to reducing the bill. Showing that you are also being vigilant against drafts and cold might also keep the relationship copacetic (our tenant, though we by no means required or requested it, did some freelance weatherproofing on a drafty window after we thought we weatherized everything, which we greatly appreciated. We responded with cookies.)
Posted by: AstralOil at February 17, 2010 3:36 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
if tenants had to pay for their own heat, those thermostats would be set pretty low.
Posted by: maxsdad at February 17, 2010 3:37 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
When tenants pay their own heat and work from home...they dont turn off the thermostat...in Februrary. Great comment, if it made sense.
Posted by: cillmylandlord_again at February 17, 2010 3:42 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
"The thermostat for the entire building is in our apartment"
Genius. Cheap ass landlords (move that shit within current system or install a new one!). Too many amateurs own/operate buildings. They need to sell to someone more responsible and resourceful (for half off!).
***Bid half off peak comps***
Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at February 17, 2010 3:44 PM in response to Heating Cost Question
You're right, IMBY -- it doesn't make sense. He set it to something reasonable for the daytime hours, but wants us to manually turn it off during the day. He was really angry about the bill, and I guess thinks that there could be some savings there.
Posted by: local282 at February 17, 2010 3:20 PM in response to Heating Cost Question