Bypassed Electric Meter...getting evidence

[jw1975]

My niece lives in a rented flat No. 1 . She is only electric. Her Meter and Fuse box are in the flat next door at No 2. Her electricity bill for the last quarter is 220% higher than normal for this time of year.

Every previous tennant of No 2 has complained bitterly about the cost of heathing the flat and never stay long becasue of it. Except the tennant who was there during the last quarter. He never complained once and the flat was always toasty warm.

Flat No 2 has a pay as you go meter with key card. The new tennant remembers, when he viewed the property seeing a wire coming out of the pay and go meter with a black module attached to it and a wire coming out the otherside going somewhere else.

My theory (being a Decectives Daughter) is that the previous tennant Bypassed his Pay and Go meter and somehow my Neices flat has picked up the usage costs. If that is possible and has anyone ever seen this happen before?

My other questions are

The Electricity Top up key card that is in Flat No 2 is the same card that the previous tennant used.

1) Does the top up key card hold information about top up history
2) Does a pay and go meter store the history of units of energy it has used between top ups?

Thanks

 

[Clive P]

Hi,

Very interesting, looking forward to hearing more,

Regards.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Can you post any pictures?

 

[kingeri]

It's entirely possible, as said we need photos!!

 

[amlu]

seen bypassing the meter before, never seen connecting to neighbors supply, but never say never.

you will do with a proper inspection, especially around the meter/meter tails, may be worth inviting an electrician to have a look.
Disconnect all loads at home (preferably at consumer unit), watch the meter. it should stop.

 

[GT1]

For a bypass like that to effect your niece it would have to be taking place elsewhere on the building than in the individual flat.

It's entirely possible that its not the "dodgy" neighbour at all, and it may be that someone has done it in the service area of the building.

I know most modern apartment blocks have a shared utility compartment/cubooard/room where the utility meters are housed. The individual CUs are then in the apartments themselves.

I should complain to the supplier, the owner, and the property management agents that run the building.

Failing that get a spark in to do some tests....

 

[44ALLAN]

Your niece hasn't got a bedroom full of nice big leafy plants by any chance has she?
Heat lamps are expensive to run !

 

[Silly Sausage]

Your niece hasn't got a bedroom full of nice big leafy plants by any chance has she?
Heat lamps are expensive to run !

The electric is about 1% of the profit then!
Good money to be had there!!!

 

[jw1975]

Your niece hasn't got a bedroom full of nice big leafy plants by any chance has she?
Heat lamps are expensive to run !

Unfortunately no! If she did I wouldnt have a problem with the bill !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will try and get pictures. (Saturday is the next time we have access to flat 2 ) I did take some of her meter but not enough detail for you to look at.

The building is old. There are two units in it. Flat 1 and Flat 2. All electrics seem to be in the store cupboard of flat 2.

 

[44ALLAN]

Post 5 is the best advice up till now IMO

 

[jw1975]

I have booked an electrician for Saturday morning. I will also get pictures and have a go at posting them to you

 

[jw1975]

update. The elctrician can see the the pay as you go meter for flat 2 has been tampered with, but cannot see that it will have interferred with my neices supply. He was horrified though to see how quickly the wheel was spinning. He did various checks and the 2 heaters, appliances and immersion heater are pulling the right amount to ''amp'age??'' that he would expect.

His conclusion is that the meter is wrong/faulty.

E-On have quoted £89 for a call out to check the meter. If the meter is at fault then we will be reimbursed....but if the meter is fine we get stuck with the call out fee.

The elctrician was well p**sed off about that. (Not very often I get a man to sympathise with me !!! ) His suggestion is to add a second meter and we'll run it for a couple of weeks to see if the meters balance.

If there is a difference then we can call out E-On and pay the call out clear in the knowledge that there is a fault.

Electrician is only charging for parts and a couple of hours work.

Could I have your thoughts please on that plan of attack..

Thank you

 

[Octopus]

A 2nd meter would make sense, and they are not too expensive.

Did you take any photo's?

 

[jw1975]

No photo.. the cupboard is now so full of Xmas Decortaions and Carpet bits it was difficult to get me and the electrician in at the same time to pull stuff back to get good shots of the wiring and CU's. Go a shot of the meter its self, but nothing else.

 

[jw1975]

Hi everyone. I have an update so I thought I'd share it. The wife of the electrician gave me this web site 'sust-it.net' you can punch in details of your appliances and it will give you an hourly/weekly/monthly cost.

We have found that it is the immersion heater. The water isnt staying hot so to bathe in the morning and the evening she has the immerson on twice a day for 3 hours a day...which in its own right doesnt seem much until you do the maths..

6 hrs a day x 3khw x 82 days in the quarter in its own right is near on equal to this huge bill.

We have now started installing a shower so she can turn this immersion heater off. We have never seen the immerson heater as a problem before but now she is bathing twice in the day the bills are twice the price.

This website is a must for anyone who cannot understand their electricity bills. We are floored by our discovery and lord knows how we can pay this bill. Back out on the streets I think !!!!!!!