Cookers

[Nathalie]

Hi,

I'm having a crisis of choice at the moment. I may need to replace a gas cooker I have in a HMO. I was thinking of getting electric for safety reasons (not leaving gas on by mistake) but my tenants are pretty insistent that they want gas as it cooks better...

I've done a little bit of research and now I am more confused than ever. Ok so I found out that now all gas cookers need to be FSD compliant for HMO which in a way reduces my safety concern. But the FSD compliant ones are also VERY expensive compared to what I would normally get, the cheapest I could find was £100 more than the one I would have bought and it had poor reviews... After that we're looking at about £200+ more expensive.

Now the confusing bit, I've read in many places gas cookers cook better but I'm also starting to see some posts saying that electric cookers cook just as well now. Also the tenants and I were under the impression that gas was a lot cheaper than electricity but I've been reading that it really is only a few pounds cheaper a year, not even worth thinking about.

So I don't know what to think any more and quite unlike me, I am totally indecisive on this issue. Any advice?

Thanks

Nathalie

[Mortitia]

Hi Nathalie,

I don't think gas cooks better but tenants are more used to using gas for cooking. You can see the flame, regulate it and it is instant where electric hobs react more slowly. The ideal combination is gas hob and electricfan oven but maybe too much fuss for an HMO.

How long term are your tenants? Will they leave if you change fuels? Who is running this property you or them?!

If you go down the electric route pin a laminated gas/electric conversion chart to the wall by the cooker so they can see what temps they should be using for the oven. I would think they would soon get used to it - or go without hot food.

Hope that helps,

Mortitia

[Nathalie]

Hi Mortitia,

Thanks, I found a solution in the end, I found spare parts for the cooker online, so I can replace the control panel and knobs so they know exactly what they're doing. An excellent outcome I thought, only cost me £25! It was only really the new tenant who mentioned it anyway so I wasn't facing mutiny. The others were just saying if you do replace it, gas would be our preference.

lol well I would like to think I am definitely the one running the property and it's safe to say they know it as they're generally on their best behaviour. But at the same time I try to be an "inclusive" landlord and give my tenants an opportunity to tell me what they think before making big changes, it is their home after all, but I always make the final decision based on cost-benefit analysis and what I ultimately think would be better long-term for the property. My tenants tend to be long-term. I had two leave in the last 6 months, one had been there 10 years, the other 8 years and that's because both had bought properties, I have others who have been tenants for at least 5 years or so. If they were the type to come and go, I certainly wouldn't go to so much trouble to ask their opinions. I'm not concerned about tenants leaving, the house is popular, so I don't have trouble finding replacements. But as I like to say a happy tenant is a happy landlord. I find if you look after them (within reason), they look after you and they're more receptive when you have to do things like increase rent...

P.S. Did a bit of research and the general consensus is that gas cooks better funnily enough (probably shouldn't have replaced my own cooker). It is a more "moist" type of cooking and the food does not dry out as much than with electric... Also the temperature distribution is better. However it is also general consensus like you said that a gas hob and an electric oven is the best. Good to know for the future!