Electrical contractor bypassed my meter ?

[lja]

hope im not too late for this thread worked for dno and suppliers way to treat this is like this contact supplier inform them you had your electrician round to check your house ect and he informed you your meter has been wired incorrectly he is not allowed to touch it and needs attention asap your worried about saftey they must act and theyl log saftey issue. do not contact dno if possible they prob just cut you off and say ring supplier as well as informing them themselves regarding meter reader taking time the problem with that is he may be a meter fitter on reading duty hence he should spot it a mile off if he has informed supplier they can push a revenue protection case warrent ect you dont want to get that far by looks of pic seals are present on henley but not meter curious they should send someone round by appointment and they should also book with dno to get that service changed more than due one 6 to 8 week turn around you must make the call my friend.
the second way is to get an electrician whose comfortable to do so to cut seals and rectify then ring supplier and ask for a reseal due to emergency board change (grey area) theyl send someone out to put new ones on after huffing and puffing a while but again it saftey issue they must comply however if the meter reader has informed supplier you could make yourself look very guilty.

 

[exniceic]

I consider this a cock and bull story someone has contrived. anyone especially a qualified sparky should have picked this up.
I THESE BASIC QUESTIONS.
1/ IF THE TAILS TO ALL THE CU's CAME OUT OF THE SAME HENLEY BLOCK THEN THIS WOUD MEAN THE THE HOUSE HOLDER WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD A ELECTRICITY BILL SINCE THE HOUSE WAS WIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
2/ FOR THE CU TAILS TO BE CONNECTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SUPPY METER (WHICH IS THE CORRECT MAINS SUPPLY IN TERMINALS) THEN THE SUPPLY COMPANY'S 80/100 CUTOUT FUSE WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED, AND THEIR SEAL BROKEN.
3/ THE GUY READING THE METER WOULD HAVE NOTICED AND REPORTED THIS.

Like I said this earlier, this story has a smell to it

 

[Lacy]

If you read the Op's posts properly you will see that it only an additional CU that has been connected to the wrong side when an extension was built. The original CU is off the correct side so will still be getting bills relative only to the elec used on the original CU.....

 

[HandySparks]

I consider this a cock and bull story someone has contrived. anyone especially a qualified sparky should have picked this up.
I THESE BASIC QUESTIONS.
1/ IF THE TAILS TO ALL THE CU's CAME OUT OF THE SAME HENLEY BLOCK THEN THIS WOUD MEAN THE THE HOUSE HOLDER WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD A ELECTRICITY BILL SINCE THE HOUSE WAS WIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
2/ FOR THE CU TAILS TO BE CONNECTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SUPPY METER (WHICH IS THE CORRECT MAINS SUPPLY IN TERMINALS) THEN THE SUPPLY COMPANY'S 80/100 CUTOUT FUSE WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED, AND THEIR SEAL BROKEN.
3/ THE GUY READING THE METER WOULD HAVE NOTICED AND REPORTED THIS.

Like I said this earlier, this story has a smell to it

Welcome to the forum exniceic and thank you for your well-researched and considered post after two years of membership. As Lacy says, only part of the load is unmetered and the OP is not a qualified sparky.
Next time, do you mind not shouting. Regards.

 

[thefish]

I wonder why the OP has gone quiet and removed the original photos? Maybe they've decided not inform the supplier?

 

[Silly Sausage]

In Jail & the pictures have been removed for evidence?

I hope not! :-(

 

[Lacy]

I did submit a post to this thread a few days ago clarifying the legal position but as it was my first post it told me the reply had to be moderated before it would be displayed. It seems to have disappeared into the ether.....

 

[Stroppy]

Here are the pictures I recovered from my cache:

and

 

[exniceic]

It looks like the original supply tails to the meter are the old brown colour outer sheaf which was the common colour at the time. I can see from your photos now the new tail arrangement. It still does not alter the fact that the Supply Company's supply to that property has been comprimised illegally. and fraud has taken place.
I have never,ever, known a Supply Company install a Henley Box before their meter.

Someone is in big trouble, if it was me I would emigrate. (joke)

 

[Lacy]

Yet again, I have typed a fairly comprehensive reply outlining the legal aspects and this damn board tells me it has to be moderated first before it is posted.......I am only trying to help and enlighten here, folks.....will this reply disappear into the ether too?

 

[Silly Sausage]

Lacy, you might have to have X number of posts before you are unleashed.
Don't give up.

 

[Lacy]

Can't understand why it's letting me post some replies....like this one....and not others?

 

[Knobhead]

Have you being trying to include pictures in the posts?

That is one limiting factor I know of for a newcommer

 

[Lacy]

It might be because the reply included links to relevant legislation.....but if the moderator looks at it they will see there's nothing dodgy there.....it's just that it's the second time I've typed it all out and I've had no contact from a mod about either post; they just disappear with seemingly no trace....

 

[Geordie Spark]

It might be because the reply included links to relevant legislation.....but if the moderator looks at it they will see there's nothing dodgy there.....it's just that it's the second time I've typed it all out and I've had no contact from a mod about either post; they just disappear with seemingly no trace....

Hi Lacy.

I don't know what's happening with your posts, I'm just a member here same as you, but how about typing your posts in Notepad, then saving them to your pc then copy & paste here on the board. That way, you'll always be able to re-post when / if you're able to.

(Sorry if I'm teaching my granny how to suck eggs.)

 

[Lacy]

No mate, you're right, I should have saved the post Somewhere else before hitting the send button. serves me right.......I'll have another crack at it soon!

 

[Lacy]

Just to clarify a couple of legal points:

A few people have mentioned ‘theft’. It’s technically impossible to steal electricity. In order to commit theft you have to dishonestly appropriate ‘property’ and property has to be tangible and it’s because electricity is intangible that the offence of abstracting electricity was created in the 1968 Theft act.

Abstracting Electricity
Section 13 Theft Act 1968 - 5 years - indictable (triable either way) offence
It is an offence for a person to dishonestly :-
• use without due authority, or
• cause to be wasted, or

• cause to be diverted,

any electricity.

Note the use of the word ‘dishonestly’. If the original poster is a lay person who had work done for him it would be difficult to prove any degree of dishonesty up to the point that he became aware that there was a problem with the wiring. As soon as he becomes aware (by asking in this thread for example) any subsequent use without notifying his supplier would more than likely be deemed dishonest.

The other offence that may have been committed here is by his electrician:

Tampering with electricity meters
Section 31 and Schedule 7,Article 11Electricity Act 1989 - level 3 fine - summary offence
It is an offence for a person, with intent or culpable negligence, to alter the measuring capability of any meter, or prevent a meter from registering the quantity of electricity supplied.
It would be difficult for his electrician to argue that he wasn’t culpably negligent given the obvious faux pas that has been made here.

If it were me, I would contact my supplier ASAP with an explanation of what has happened and details of how long the wiring has been like that, a list of appliances and loads on the unmetered circuits and estimated usage together with an assurance that I intend to pay for unmetered electricity used.

As the meter reader has, it seems, already clocked the problem, to do anything, such as getting the wiring altered now as if nothing has ever happened, could be deemed dishonest.

 

[Midwest]

There is one flaw to that argument, the gent now knows (as been wisely advised by this forum) that he is getting electricity for free and any court (if it ever got that far) would form a view about his 'mensrea' or he knew he was breaking the law.

Homeworker, my advice would be to stop messing around and get on the phone to your supplier as soon as possible. If you get the fault fixed and not tell the supplier (can't believe people suggesting that!) and subsequently get found out you will end up in court and possibly in prison.

Abstracting electricity S13 Theft Act 1968.

You may have a high bill to pay back, but I think you would rather that than spending time behind bars. A high level of gain is one of the aggravating factors for sentencing.
As others have said, you do not perpetrate this offence,and it is possible it was a simple mistake by the electrician. The difference is you now know!

Did mention this before Lacy, and the original thread owner seems very conspicuous by his absence. I suspect he is a very worried person, but the longer they leave it to contact the supplier (now that they know it is wrong, both technically AND legally), the worse things will become. Let’s hope homeworker comes back to us to say he has made contact with his supplier.

 

[sedgy34]

The op shouldn't do anything!!!! As I posted before he's got an electrical cert from a sparky who did his newly works the op is a consumer therefore non the wiser lol

 

[Guitarist]

The op shouldn't do anything!!!! As I posted before he's got an electrical cert from a sparky who did his newly works the op is a consumer therefore non the wiser lol

Used to be non the wiser...

 

[Midwest]

The op shouldn't do anything!!!! As I posted before he's got an electrical cert from a sparky who did his newly works the op is a consumer therefore non the wiser lol

'In the UK it is commonly held that ignorance of the law is no excuse for (or defence against) breaking the law. The Latin maxim is ‘Ignorantia juris non excusat’. The reason given for this principle is that if such a defence was allowed, then too many guilty defendants would use it to escape conviction'.

Plus, he has been suitable adviced, by 'experts' that the wiring he has is illegal. Clearly the certificate he has, is not worth the paper it is written on. His only saving grace, is he employed someone to carry out the work for him, not believing or expecting something illegal would be done. But he must come clean. I feel sorry for homemaker, as he has been placed in a difficult position, but ignoring the facts and hoping it will all go away, might be a foolhardy mistake. I for one, would be fearing the knock at the door. I suspect he has now taken steps (due to his absence from his own thread) to have the fault rectified. I just hope the Supplier doesn't come knocking.

 

[brman]

yes, but there are two steps he should take.
1) Get it sorted asap
2) inform the supplier so he can get an official slap on the wrist and possibly a fine?

I know 1) should be done by the supplier and so includes 2) but I am sure a lot of people would try and find a way of getting 1 sorted without 2 happening. And you can't blame them if it is genuinely not a problem of their making.

I'd suggest giving the guy a break..............

 

[Lacy]

His supplier will, no doubt, give him a break providing he is up front and honest. Hopefully they will be able to reach an amicable agreement as to what he owes them. He already had his suspicions that something wasn't right hence he posted here.....although I can't help thinking that the right place to go in the first place, if he suspected a problem, would have been his supplier. Either way, he now knows where he stands and what he should do. I'm sure he'll do the right thing.

 

[trev]

Did mention this before Lacy, and the original thread owner seems very conspicuous by his absence. I suspect he is a very worried person, but the longer they leave it to contact the supplier (now that they know it is wrong, both technically AND legally), the worse things will become. Let’s hope homeworker comes back to us to say he has made contact with his supplier.

Or on the other hand he may have gotten the info we gave him and made contact, thus sleeping soundly in his bed of a nighttime

 

[Geordie Spark]

Or on the other hand he may have gotten the info we gave him and made contact, thus sleeping soundly in his bed of a nighttime

"he may have gotten the info" ............ that's not Sooth Shields lingo bonny lad !!!! :nono:

 

[trev]

Wey Aaa knaa but neebugga but ye me n alarm man cin taalk proper like bonny lad

 

[Geordie Spark]

Wey Aaa knaa but neebugga but ye me n alarm man cin taalk proper like bonny lad

aye ... we're like the Three Musthev Beors !!!