How can I ascertain if I am paying for someone else's electricity? Help!

[OnlQQker]

 

[Electrics]

My heart bleeds for British Gas.

 

[stevethesparks]

What does the other meter supply (sorry if I have missed something)
Its not just a case of you paying for the wrong meter?

 

[Danielle]

If one of those supplies did everything on that site in the past and is still connected up then yes.

They may not know it, but it is a definite possibility.

is there any way you can think of thast i could unravel this to prove it to be the case, if it was the case

 

[SJD]

is there any way you can think of thast i could unravel this to prove it to be the case, if it was the case

Turn off the expensive supply for a long period, and wait to see if contractors turn up at the adjacent property. You just have to make sure you can power your fridges/freezers and anything else you can't do without while you wait (from the other supply) ... !

 

[Danielle]

What does the other meter supply (sorry if I have missed something)
Its not just a case of you paying for the wrong meter?

no i have 2 meters, one for an annex area that used to be a separate dwelling, a small 2 room area of the house, then another meter, which is for the main part of the house.
i had thought my electric bills were crazy high because when we built we had wanted to pout in air source or ground source straight away. we ran out of money, had to stop the build and our heating and hot water was left on electric (as we'd already taken out the oil provision), our view was to put in air source or groud source asap. i have now finally done this. and the bills have not changed at all, if anything higher...

 

[snowhead]

From one of your earlier posts then, the meter and supply in the Utility, the newer looking one, does all the heating.

The meter and supply in the garage does the rest of the house except heating and is the one causing the high bills?
Can you take a photo or photos of all of the electrical switches and cables around that, including any cables that go into the ground or disappear into the roof space/ ceiling of the garage.

 

[stevethesparks]

Does the Farm shop have its own meter?

 

[Danielle]

Does the farm shop know you have these problems? I'm just thinking about all their freezers going off when the issue is found.

i wish, i tried turning everything off in the house today, and had

From one of your earlier posts then, the meter and supply in the Utility, the newer looking one, does all the heating.

The meter and supply in the garage does the rest of the house except heating and is the one causing the high bills?
Can you take a photo or photos of all of the electrical switches and cables around that, including any cables that go into the ground or disappear into the roof space/ ceiling of the garage.

no, it's the other way round the newer meter is recording £1900 per month bills, but is not doing any heating or hot water, the older meter is much less (£300 p.m) but is now powering all my hot water and heating... it doesn't make sense. i feel like it must still be connected to the farm, or the whole village!

 

[Danielle]

Does the Farm shop have its own meter?

yes, i will ask them what their bills are like...

 

[hasel5]

Utility warehouse rings alarm bells tbh
Change supplier ASAP

 

[hasel5]

Prob got sold a deal buy a rep that was a load of pie in sky

 

[Dannyboybl00]

Where in East Sussex are you? I'm near the Kent/Surrey/East and West Sussex borders. Happy to help.

 

[Danielle]

Utility warehouse rings alarm bells tbh
Change supplier ASAP

what do you mean? if my meter is showing these amounts, wont any company charge me the same or are UW known for this (and i didn't realise)? thanks

 

[Danielle]

Where in East Sussex are you? I'm near the Kent/Surrey/East and West Sussex borders. Happy to help.

Broad oak near heathfield, is this too far?

Did you turn all the power off at both meters at the main switch, or did you turn off everything consuming electricity?

Their lights staying on isn't an indicator that it's not them - if i was going to steal leccy i would do it for the high powered stuff, not the lights.

If they have a loft full of weed or even Bitcoin mining modules it could just be running those.

If you've turned the supply off then anything being stolen which is out of sight such as a drugs farm won't register on the meter. You need to turn off everything you're using and not the actual supply to see if someone is stealing from you supply-side. Turning off the mains is only going to be useful if you can physically see something go off everytime you turn your mains off. To see if it's being nicked from your energised supply you need to disconnect every last piece of electrical equipment and turn off anything like lights etc, all sockets, fans etc and then see if there is still power being used via the meter. You need the line being potentially stolen off to be energised to check if there's something being drawn from it but at the same time need to be certain you're not drawing it yourself.

If nothing is registering it's likely your meter is dodgy and i'd get it replaced asap.

Either way, now is the time to call in a professional. Just google someone in your area, make the call, ask them if they are fully qualified and if they have the Testing and Inspection qualification. If they check out, get them in.

I really appreciate this and you explaining it so thoroughly, thank you .

 

[hasel5]

what do you mean? if my meter is showing these amounts, wont any company charge me the same or are UW known for this (and i didn't realise)? thanks

Have they actually read the meter or are they my estimated bills

 

[7029 dave]

Have they actually read the meter or are they my estimated bills

That is a good point, are you being billed on estimated reads or actual reads.

 

[brianmoooore]

Have they actually read the meter or are they my estimated bills

I once went for a period of around five years on estimated bills on one of my supplies. It turned out that the meter had been replaced without my knowledge, or apparently, the billing departments knowledge, since they rejected all submitted readings because the figures bore no resemblance to what they estimated they should have been. I finally worked out what was happening, at which point they sent me an actual reading - taken from a meter that hadn't been there for years. At this point I stopped being polite.

 

[Danielle]

Have they actually read the meter or are they my estimated bills

read the meter

 

[brianmoooore]

My meter was read, every three months, for years, but I still got estimated bills.
Does it say 'actual' or 'estimated' on the bills?

 

[Danielle]

My meter was read, every three months, for years, but I still got estimated bills.
Does it say 'actual' or 'estimated' on the bills?

it say meter reading, rather than estimated... i should have stuck to estimated which was 1.2k per month!!

 

[OnlQQker]

I take it as you're out in the sticks somewhere you have overhead power coming in from telegraph poles?
Just curious on how many lines you have coming into your property?

 

[7029 dave]

it say meter reading, rather than estimated... i should have stuck to estimated which was 1.2k per month!!

No that would only make the bill even higher once an actual read was taken.

 

[Danielle]

You have the right to have your meter tested, and if it has been tested by your supplier, you can have it independently tested.

I think my energy meter is faulty - Which? Consumer Rights

What exactly has your supplier done, to investigate your complaint?

Hi, They changed the meter, then said the meter was working fine after testing the new one. they won't look at wiring on the other side of the meter. they say it is not their problem.

 

[Danielle]

No that would only make the bill even higher once an actual read was taken.

yes you are right... increased it by hundreds!

 

[Danielle]

Yes, if you assume £0.15 per kWh and 30 days for the £2,300 bill that is an average of around 21kW.

While it is possible, it is hard to see that coming off a 80A single phase supply giving it can't be constant.

Weed farms excluded....

if only i had a weed farm i could start paying these bills off! I have 3 phase, i think because the house was formerly part of a farm

 

[Danielle]

All good advise, I want to concentrate on the supply meter, I would insist that the energy supplier do an accuracy test on the meter,2 ways load bank test or fit a check meter in series with your supply meter the latter is the only option if you have 3phase meter.

thanks, they have fitted a check meter and it read the same as the other meter. they refuse to look at if something else is somehow taking electricity from before or after the CU

 

[Danielle]

I have in the past used energy monitors to get an idea of how much power each device in a factory is using.
you could buy a couple of these and put them on each of your heating units.
they are the most likley high usage devices you have.
if they account for 90% of the usage then i am afraid you will have to turn the heating down.
if they are less than 50% of your usage then i suspect you have a problem with either billing meter or a leech drawing your electricity for there own use.

Eco-Eye Smart PC - Eco-eye electricity monitors (eco-eye.com)

there may well be a member who can install them on different circuits for you at different times if you are not confident.

The weird thing is, i have two meters, the problem one, which came in at 2k for the month of dec has no heating or hot water on it. just lights, tech, toaster and kettle!!

 

[Danielle]

it was partially rebuilt in 2016, so parts are old parts new.

I am going to get a spark to do a usage report on each circuit. you are right i need more info from a pro.
I am given one bill, which has the day and night reading on for each of the two meters and the numbers on the meters correspond with my meters. the bills have increased since lockdown (but the farm shop remains open as it is food=essential)
I think the property has 3 phas as it was part of the farm.
might i be paying for someone else's historical bill and they are not telling me?

Deffo can't have been built from scratch in 2016 since there appears to be old colour wiring involved in the utility cabling.

Was this a big renovation and/or partial demolition/rebuild job, and the utility area was existing?

At this point there is too much guessing involved and you need to get an electrician in to trace stuff and figure out what's going on. Without more pics and layout of the house/adjoining buildings etc it's just too difficult to give an accurate answer here.

Get a spark in to see what's going on and give any report he gives you to your electricity supplier to prove that they need to do a thorough investigation.

How are you billed? Are there two, one with two meters' numbers added together, just one? What do the numbers on the bill say - do they match up with one of the meters? Have your bills dropped since lockdown ie with places being shut?

I don't see why a three phase unit was put into a domestic dwelling unless you have tonnes of outbuildings or a business next door was being run off it. I have no experience in the UK but on the continent when i've seen a building+workshop set up it was either three phase or one single phase and one three phase supply. Two three phase supplies is just plain weird unless someone from Sweden has done it.

 

[Danielle]

Hi, They changed the meter, then said the meter was working fine after testing the new one. they won't look at wiring on the other side of the meter. they say it is not their problem.

I will get it done independently also, thank you

 

[James]

Do you have an energy monitor?
If so, I think we can get a good idea of usage just with an hour on the phone.
Send me your phone number via personal message if your up for the challenge.
P.s. it will not require opening of any electrical boxes.

 

[Danielle]

Do you have an energy monitor?
If so, I think we can get a good idea of usage just with an hour on the phone.
Send me your phone number via personal message if your up for the challenge.
P.s. it will not require opening of any electrical boxes.

I have an efergy monitor that i used about a year ago, let me see if i can find it.

 

[DefyG]

What tariff are you on, just wondering if you are paying a large fixed standard fee as it was a farm beforehand? (May of missed this in an earlier post).
A photo of the bill would help (redact your details).

 

[freddo]

Utilities Warehouse is basically a multi-level marketing company, I certainly wouldn't want anything to do with them. Twice now I've worked at the house of one of their 'partners' and had to deal with their pushy sales BS trying to get me or my girlfriend (whoever that is) to work for UW to 'earn extra income in my spare time'. The partners were both desperate (and I mean really really desperate) to recruit new sales members, presumably because that's the only way to make money in an MLM company. Imagine trying to work while they use their sales pitch on you the entire time you are there, not fun at all.

 

[snowhead]

Imagine trying to work while they use their sales pitch on you the entire time you are there, not fun at all.

Try the reverse on them, pushing for a rewire or extra lights or energy features or any other crap you can think of to sell them.
Salesmen / Women are supposed to be the easiest ones to SELL TO.

 

[brianmoooore]

Utilities Warehouse is basically a multi-level marketing company,

Is that another term for a pyramid scheme?

 

[freddo]

Is that another term for a pyramid scheme?

It is but as pyramid schemes are illegal they call them MLMs or direct sales or whatever to get around the law.

 

[Berniethebolt]

I have had a “Tin Foil Hat Moment” no no don’t titter....

So the meter has been replaced, but it would be placed in the same position as the previous.

Seeing as everything is at a dead end.

Maybe the meter is getting rf/electrical interference. So cover the meter in tin foil. It’s easy and cheap.

I would be inclined to try the old spinning disc meter, on your side of the circuit of course.

It looks like something is making to meter read incorrectly at the property.

 

[Electrics]

Any updates OP? Curious as to the outcome of this one.

 

[pc1966]

It looks like something is making to meter read incorrectly at the property.

Given the meter change it is far more likely to be a real load. But things are not always what they seem and it could be one or more of the following:

• The OP's home really is using stupid amounts of power due to some error in the heating system.
• Someone is leeching power off their home without knowing it (legacy wiring from before properties were separated/sold)
• Someone is leeching power off deliberately for illegal use (pot plant farm, etc)
• There is a short to earth with too high a Zs to trip but enough to sink ~40A in to some earthed object somewhere

Until we hear back from some systematic investigation by someone competent and careful, we can but guess!

 

[DefyG]

Any updates OP? Curious as to the outcome of this one.

Yes, be useful to know.

 

[DefyG]

Has this thread died .?........ we would like to know the outcome!

 

[Phil L]

The OP has had the leccy cut off or been raided by the leccy police??

 

[DPG]

OP hasn't been on here since Thursday morning.

 

[hasel5]

Did think it was a very iffy thread

 

[littlespark]

Give them a chance to actually organise someone to have a look.
Im sure theyll get back to us after theyve had a professional investigation done

 

[DPG]

Give them a chance to actually organise someone to have a look.
Im sure theyll get back to us after theyve had a professional investigation done

Fair point, it hasn't been that long really.

 

[pc1966]

OP hasn't been on here since Thursday morning.

They might have a life outside of electrical work!

 

[DPG]

They might have a life outside of electrical work!

Yep, fair point ?

 

[Moley]

They might have a life outside of electrical work!

There's life outside electrical work??? Don't be silly.