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Discuss How can I ascertain if I am paying for someone else's electricity? Help! in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

Danielle

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My electricity bills are 1.5-2.5k per month for a 5 bedroom house. My heating was running off ? electric so while this figure is extremely high it (kind of) made sense, as the house is large. I had an electrician calculate the space and electric consumption. As it was so high, I decided to go down the route of Air Source, and have had 4 Mitsubishi air source heat pumps installed to make my electric more affordable... having been told this would take them to half or a third. But my first bill have come in and it is £2300, for ONE month!!. I wonder if I am paying for the electricity for the farm shop next door or something like this. My provider, utility warehouse will only check that my meter is working and the wires inside my house.
Does anyone know how or who can I ask to check that the wires going into my house are only providing electricity for my property. Utility warehouse refuse to do this. is there ANY service I can pay for to prove what is going on. Even if just for me! I am in a lot of financial difficulty now! Thanks
 
Do you really have two 3-phase electric supplies to the property?
They seem to have 100A fuses fitted too, which suggests heavy loading is expected. At the start of the thread I pictured a single phase supply feeding one consumer unit! Tracing where the electricity is being used might take some time and require a bit of testing by an electrician. The standing charge for having 2 3phase supplies will be a fair bit too.
 
I was just looking at the fuse carriers, funny only the one has a label stating fuse size fitted?
The older carries also say 100A, but not clear if that is what is fitted or the carrier limit.

It does look as if things have been changed over the years, maybe even it was overloaded and damage something leading to the "new" holder in some way (and 2nd supply?).

As many others are saying, it needs someone on-site to look at the whole picture.
 
Simple turn off all switch gear in house and garage, they will soon come running if that's the case.
ok i need to check with the company that i installed the air source how to turn it off, i'm sure they will be happy to tell me as we are going nuts at them because we only installed it to see a reduction in the electricity bills!! i really appreciate your advice, i am desperate to get to the bottom of this!
 
ok i need to check with the company that i installed the air source how to turn it off, i'm sure they will be happy to tell me as we are going nuts at them because we only installed it to see a reduction in the electricity bills!! i really appreciate your advice, i am desperate to get to the bottom of this!
I'd get the place warm and then turn everything off for a bit and sit and watch the meter. If it goes up someone is leeching from you. I reckon one of those meters is running somewhere else and you're getting the bill.
 
ok i need to check with the company that i installed the air source how to turn it off, i'm sure they will be happy to tell me as we are going nuts at them because we only installed it to see a reduction in the electricity bills!! i really appreciate your advice, i am desperate to get to the bottom of this!
At the rate you are paying for power if there is any mistake then it would pay for an electrician's call-out in only a couple of days!
 
Like @telectrix says above...

Turn your main switch off when the farm shop next door is open.

If it plunges in to darkness and utility vans start turning up you'll know something is wrong!
that's a good idea!! is there any way they could be taking from me but somehow from inside my wiring network? which would explain why the meter readings are so high. my dec bill said i used 15,000kw of electricity. all of my heating and hot water is on air source!!
 
At the rate you are paying for power if there is any mistake then it would pay for an electrician's call-out in only a couple of days!
yes i totally agree, but i want to find somone who "gets" how to unravel this... i had a local sparky and he attached a monitor onto my 3 phases to monitor them but couldnt really work out anything!!
 
I'd get the place warm and then turn everything off for a bit and sit and watch the meter. If it goes up someone is leeching from you. I reckon one of those meters is running somewhere else and you're getting the bill.
i totally agree. my house used to be part of a farm, i think i am paying for their farm shop freezers and lights. would there be a way they could leech off me from inside my wire network, ie so it looks like from inside the house?
or would turning it all off solve this? would the meter stay on if no power? its digital
 

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