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If I don't pay for gas, should I still get hot water? — Brooklynian

If I don't pay for gas, should I still get hot water?

kursty
kursty
edited November -1 in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Hey everyone,

This is my first post on here, so I apologize in advance if I am not posting it in the correct section and for being a bit newbie.

Ok here's my problem: Since last night, I don't have gas (i.e. stove) or hot water. I know I am responsible for paying for gas, but isn't the landlord responsible for proving me with hot water? When I called the super, he told me the gas and hot water were related and I should contact my gas provider. Is he correct? I mean if actively chose not to have gas in my apartment, shouldn't I still receive hot water? I also ran into other tenants who said they didn't have gas last night but they did have hot water. What should I do?

If it helps, I live at 654 Park Pl., and there's a furnace in our apartment.

Comments

  • kursty
    kursty

    Also, who is my gas provider? Is it not ConED? That's the utility company I've been using since I moved into the apartment, in October 2010...but now I am thinking (realizing?) that ConED only covers electricity? Do I have to sign up with National Grid to receive gas (and by extension hot water?)?

    Now that I am thinking of it, I do remember receiving some letter from National Grid about services, but I didn't pay any attention to it because I was already signed up with ConED. In any case, this was easily more than 4 months ago and its not till last night that gas became a problem...

    If I do have to go through National Grid, any tips on how to approach them about my 'unpaid' gas services? Should I just say I never received a letter (they did send only 1, that I am sure of)?

    Any and all suggestions are appreciated, and sorry for the somewhat stream-of-consciousness post.

    Best,

    K.

  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen

    ConEd is power. You'll get a separate bill for gas from National Grid. Your landlord only has to provide hot water if it's in your lease. You could start by calling National Grid to see if they shut it off and if there are multiple accounts for the building (assuming there are multiple units) or if there is one account that can imply the LL pays it.

  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior

    Depends on how its set up and how the lease is, some buildings cooking gas and hot water are tied and reflected in lease. other times it is not tied etc...

  • nadaoneal
    nadaoneal

    Usually the landlord only pays for hot water if you have steam heat. When you say you have a furnace, I'm guessing you mean that your heat is via hot air rather than via steam/radiators? Generally, that means your hot water is heated via gas, and you pay as part of your gas bill.

    National Grid is your gas provider. To set up a new account with them, they're going to ask for a copy of the first and last page of your lease, so there will be no question about the date you moved in and how many months of unpaid gas you have. I don't think it will be socially awkward to find out your balance. They just want to get paid.

    You ask "I mean if actively chose not to have gas in my apartment, shouldn't I still receive hot water?" - I think you might be able to ask them to shut off the gas supply to your stove so that you're not paying to keep the pilot light on, if you never use it. The gas to keep the pilot light on probably costs under $5 a month, definitely under $10.

  • kursty
    kursty

    Thanks for all the helpful advice. I am pretty sure at the signing the broker/management company said the landlord covers hot water, and I saw hot water as a requirement listed on some NYC.gov tenants/housing site. Maybe it was referring to a specific type of housing. Anyway I'll take a look at the lease as soon as I get home.

    But it's probably that I do have to go through NationalGrid. Argh!

  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen

    Yeah, it could be that calling National Grid will give you some answers and if the LL is responsible, he should fix the problem asap.

  • eastbloc
    eastbloc

    If you don't pay for gas, odds are:

    a) you have an electric water heater in your unit;

    b) you have a central heater in the building which your landlord is responsible for (oil/gas/electric).

    In NYC, a) is rather uncommon. b) is very common. I'd start by calling your landlord or super rather than National Grid.

  • tsarina
    tsarina

    it is entirely possible that you have an apt with an on demand water heater that provides heat and hot water. National Grid will not turn off the gas in the winter months, but those have ended, and it is time to wake up and pay the bill. The furnace in your apt is a clue that you are responsible for heat and hot water, also a thermostat would indicate that you are responsible for utilities in your apt.

  • eastbloc
    eastbloc

    Good point -- I was assuming that the tenant was already quite certain that there's no individually-metered gas service to the apartment. It could be that they just weren't paying attention to the landlord when they signed their lease :)

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