A hypothetical question.

[Top Cat]

Just had a conversation with my wife about free electricity:-

If pylons are running over your land and you make a coil to get it down to 230V is it "drawing" off electricity from the grid or is it "free" electricity? Does it "hurt" the supply authority? or does it not matter?

 

[kingeri]

I'd say it would be drawing a minuscule amount.....but the fat cat (no offence) energy companies would not notice any difference, except that you'd stopped paying them anything!

 

[Adam W]

It's still illegal either way - at college we were shown a picture of a 'modern art piece' where someone had stuck a load of fluorescent tubes in the ground under the power lines and they lit up; it wouldn't have drawn much but they still had to get permission to do it.

Apparently certain, um, 'independent roofing and driveway contractors' sometimes use the method you stated to power their temporary accommodation.

 

[Top Cat]

It's still illegal either way - at college we were shown a picture of a 'modern art piece' where someone had stuck a load of fluorescent tubes in the ground under the power lines and they lit up; it wouldn't have drawn much but they still had to get permission to do it.

Apparently certain, um, 'independent roofing and driveway contractors' sometimes use the method you stated to power their temporary accommodation.

I agree with what you are saying but is it actually drawing current from the overhead lines that is even measurable?

 

[telectrix]

the overhead lines create a voltage gradient to earth. if you utilise that phenomenon, it still goes to earth, same as if you were not.

 

[trev]

An ex foreman of mine told me that a guy in Bristol (Where he was originally from) had done this exact thing and that the only thing that alerted the DNO to it was, as stated earlier that he had stopped paying them. Supposedly there was nothing illegal about this as he was utilising their naturally occuring electromagnetic fields which surrounded his home.
Whether it's true or not remains an issue

 

[Silly Sausage]

Just had a conversation with my wife about free electricity:-

If pylons are running over your land and you make a coil to get it down to 230V is it "drawing" off electricity from the grid or is it "free" electricity? Does it "hurt" the supply authority? or does it not matter?

I just usitilise the street lamp post they put up flush against my front garden wall.
Saves faffing around with 400kV lines and cables billowing around in the wind.

 

[Top Cat]

the overhead lines create a voltage gradient to earth. if you utilise that phenomenon, it still goes to earth, same as if you were not.

But are you "using", "drawing", extra current from the lines by "channeling" the voltage gradient to syphon off power? If you are drawing off say 30Amps of power to run something, 30 Amps of power would not flow to earth naturally?

 

[Silly Sausage]

But are you "using", "drawing", extra current from the lines by "channeling" the voltage gradient to syphon off power? If you are drawing off say 30Amps of power to run something, 30 Amps of power would not flow to earth naturally?

Interesting question.
You can obviously extract energy from the oscillating EM field.
Something to think about over the next few weeks.

I've got some 3 or 4 foot diameter water pipes running by the side of my house. Now if I could break into them and fit a turbine...

 

[telectrix]

if you have had a couple of pints or so and screw your eyes up at the thread title, it reads as hypo the cat.

 

[Silly Sausage]

if you have had a couple of pints or so and screw your eyes up at the thread title, it reads as hypo the cat.

The cat mint must be coming into season.

 

[Top Cat]

if you have had a couple of pints or so and screw your eyes up at the thread title, it reads as hypo the cat.

Only you could think that one up!Lol

 

[Top Cat]

The cat mint must be coming into season.

What are you trying to say big boy! Lol

 

[Adam W]

I agree with what you are saying but is it actually drawing current from the overhead lines that is even measurable?

I think the point is that it isn't measurable because it isn't measured, like bypassing a meter.
It's a bit like saying that using transformer based lights eg ELV downlighters doesn't cost anything, but it does.

At the end of the day, after it's got dark when you're using your 'free electricity' which you've siphoned off the grid, you could still get arrested, even if it's for 'theft by finding'; I suspect the DNO would take a dim view of it.

 

[MarkieSparkie]

If the electricity obtained was used without due authority you would be committing the offense of 'Abstraction of Electricity' under Section 13 of the Theft Act 1968 and be liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 5 years and/or a fine not exceeding £5000.