Jump to content
Complete France Forum

electric meter reading


Recommended Posts

I have just been on holiday to the Vendee.  In our property we had to pay our own electric.  The owner took a reading when we arrived ( there was two sets of numbers on the unit).  When we left we went to pay our electric bill and we were told that we had to pay for the two meter readings on the unit.  One was for day time use and the other night time use.  Does this sound correct?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="coolmum"]I have just been on holiday to the Vendee.  In our property we had to pay our own electric.  The owner took a reading when we arrived ( there was two sets of numbers on the unit).  When we left we went to pay our electric bill and we were told that we had to pay for the two meter readings on the unit.  One was for day time use and the other night time use.  Does this sound correct?[/quote]

The short answer is Yes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find it quite bizarre how petty some of these gite owners can be. We looked at booking a gite for when we first came out to France for a week while our house settled. We were quoted €600 for a two room gite in October (so just out of season). Thought it was a bit steep, but fair enough, we were willing to pay. Then the gite owner turned round and told us that we would have to pay a bit more because it was October and we would be using more electricity. Needless to say, we found somewhere else for a similar price. So for the sake of maybe an extra €5 in electricity cost to him, he lost himself €600 in rental.

At the time, it made me a bit nervous to think that electricity in France was expensive. Thankfully I ave been proved wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found it quite common to have to do a meter reading on arrival and on departure in French-owned holiday lets.

There is usually a number of units per day (high and low cost) included in the weekly rent and anything above that minimum is charged for at the end of the stay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="coolmum"]I have just been on holiday to the Vendee. 

In our property we had to pay our own electric.  The owner took a

reading when we arrived ( there was two sets of numbers on the

unit).  When we left we went to pay our electric bill and we were

told that we had to pay for the two meter readings on the unit. 

One was for day time use and the other night time use.  Does this

sound correct?[/quote]

The way to look at it is to remember that if there had been just the

one reading, it would have meant that you paid the higher rate for ALL

the electricity you used, whereas with 2, at least a portion of it was

at the cheaper rate..

p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Clair"]I have found it quite common to have to do a meter reading on arrival and on departure in French-owned holiday lets.
There is usually a number of units per day (high and low cost) included in the weekly rent and anything above that minimum is charged for at the end of the stay.
[/quote]

People do not come on a summer holiday wanting to have an electric meter read , to determine if they owe any money

over and above what they have already paid for their holiday!

Gite owners should remember the well known saying " swings and roundabouts "

If I were charged a little extra for electricity  it would stick in my mind that the owners were "penny pinchers" and

I would not re-book

"Repeat business " should be cultivated and , not thrown away!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="LEO"]People do not come on a summer holiday wanting to have an electric meter read , to determine if they owe any money

over and above what they have already paid for their holiday!

Gite owners should remember the well known saying " swings and roundabouts "

If I were charged a little extra for electricity  it would stick in my mind that the owners were "penny pinchers" and

I would not re-book

"Repeat business " should be cultivated and , not thrown away![/quote]

LEO

Don't start spouting the usual and read my post carefully.

This is a common happening in French-owned holiday rentals.

Even GdF and Clévacances (the most used holiday rental agencies) mention it in their brochures.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems entirely sensible to me, as a potential tenant.

Include a sensible allowance, but charge for excess use. That's what happened every time we have rented somewhere.

There are people who will leave every heater and light on if they haven't got to pay, and that could easily run to £50 in a week during the off season. Why should careful people pay for other's thoughtlessness?.

Anyway its green to discourage waste of electric, even nuclear electric.......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if I could stick meters in each of my B&B bedrooms. [;-)]

I have not stayed in many Gites (about 4 in different holiday places in France) but we have never been charged for gas or electricity. I had always assumed that the price was included in the rental. The only time we were charged was when we rented a Gite for three months prior to moving in to our house and that was in the winter which I thought was fair and we were charged the same rate as EDF. We also had to leave a full gas cylinder when we left.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...