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

[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.

 

[Phil L]

They might have a life outside of electrical work!

But we need answers, they come in here asking for help and then disappear for days, how rude ??

 

[derek]

I am reminded of one house I worked on where the client asked us to look into his extremely high electrical bills, it turned out he had the AC on in his basement swimming pool.

 

[Moley]

it turned out he had the AC on in his basement swimming pool.

Isn't that a problem that we all suffer from every now and then? ?

 

[littlespark]

I am reminded of one house I worked on where the client asked us to look into his extremely high electrical bills, it turned out he had the AC on in his basement swimming pool.

Maybe he was heating the pool with immersions

 

[derek]

Isn't that a problem that we all suffer from every now and then? ?

I hope you are not suggesting that all sparks are not living like Premier League football players or hedge fund managers.

 

[Moley]

I hope you are not suggesting that all sparks are not living like Premier League football players or hedge fund managers.

So it's just old Tel then is it?

 

[nicebutdim]

Never checked for thread updates as often as I have with this one.

 

[Jaredline]

Never checked for thread updates as often as I have with this one.

Very seldom go to this forum, but did today and read every post! Problem is very intriguing! I’ve tested a lot of meters in NYS and never came across a bad one! Useage always turned out to be the customer’s fault, usually because they were unaware that they were heating there in ground pool or 500 gal tropical aquarium! Just shut the power off at your panel already! And like other poster have stated, see what happens next door! Stealing power is easy, whether intentional or not! I am eager to learn the outcome of this!

 

[Phil L]

Guess this is one thread we won’t see an outcome on, shame really would be interested to know, hopefully the OP has had someone out to look at the meter, paying between £1.5 -2.5k a month on power for a 5 bed house Is crazy

 

[7029 dave]

Yes would be nice to get an outcome, a lot of effort put in by member's.