Just when I thought I'd seen it all. And I hate domestics still.

Empty rental House, 3 bed semi. Tenant claims to have moved out as they couldn't afford to heat it...

Empty since May 31st with £17 credit on the all electric E7 meter and agents got people in to clean/refresh.
There is an EICR dated November 24th - not quite 7 months, just a few days before tenant moved in.

Showing potentials round yesterday agent noticed the red light flashing and found meter shows £129 debt. My first assumption was decorators have used big heaters? It hasn't been that cold...

Sunray entered the building to find £143 debt and applied clamp to main tail - 17A!, I went round and made sure everything was switched off/unplugged.
I removed CU cover and found 17A on shower 50A circuit. Ah I thought a faulty shower unit and started cursing the idiots who don't turn it off when not in use... it was off and removing shower unit cover I found no trace of any power.

As there is a loft ladder I went straight up into the loft to find not 2 but 3 cables radiating from the pull switch, one of which runs into the adjacent loft via man sized hole in the party wall with enough brown & blue showing (rest of property is red/black) to apply clamp - 28A!. Rechecked CU quickly - 28A! Took pics (not being shown on here for legal reasons) and phoned agent, they turned up within five minutes, 2 WPC's turned up a couple of minutes later awaiting colleagues with search warrant. Current dropped to 3A for 20 mins then we all witnessed current rising to 44A and the sound of running water.


We assumed he was in the shower, WPC asked ETA for warrant, they were on the way so she suggested a forced entry.

EDF arrived, 3 of them.

As it happens the door wasn't locked so no damage caused and 44A still been drawn as they entered.

The neighbout didn't start his 2pm shift today.

I haven't been in next door but I understand there is no registered service or meter in there.

The tenant could afford to heat the house, he couldnt afford the neighbours on top

However you divvie it up some poor sap had been paying money he couldnt afford, ultimately having to leave his home because of it.

I have found a socket connected to next door, but never that amount, we lived on a hill, and new owner asked me to remove a socket half way up the wall, there was also one at normal hight, I assumed it was for a TV, had not moved in so turned off whole supply, lucky using neon screwdriver as socket still live.

It seems neighbour when going on holiday would give key to old owners in case of emergency, there had been three owners, so no idea which one had drilled hole in wall and connected a socket their side, no police were involved, it was a knock on door, and show next door what had gone on and disconnect. And an early lesson for me to prove dead, I love neon screwdrivers.

Captain Nemesis said:

However you divvie it up some poor sap had been paying money he couldnt afford, ultimately having to leave his home because of it.

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Notch7 said:

The tenant could afford to heat the house, he couldnt afford the neighbours on top

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Especially at £160 in 15 days!

ericmark said:

I have found a socket connected to next door, but never that amount, we lived on a hill, and new owner asked me to remove a socket half way up the wall, there was also one at normal hight, I assumed it was for a TV, had not moved in so turned off whole supply, lucky using neon screwdriver as socket still live.

It seems neighbour when going on holiday would give key to old owners in case of emergency, there had been three owners, so no idea which one had drilled hole in wall and connected a socket their side, no police were involved, it was a knock on door, and show next door what had gone on and disconnect. And an early lesson for me to prove dead, I love neon screwdrivers.

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I did some work in an old cottage, turned off main switch, proved for dead. Worked my way round the building and suddenly flash bang wallop.
It turned out that room had previously been part of the neighbouring property. Neighbour was more concerned about their Freezer than anything else.

I love neon screwdrivers too although these days I prefer to carry the LED versions.

SUNRAY said:

And I hate domestics still

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Honestly, Sunray?

I'm reminded of a scene from the semi recent sherlock TV series, from the opening episode

(1:00 in)