Is my electricity being stolen?

[JohnD]

I'd leave the main switch on at first, but turn off all the lights and appliances (including water heater and fridge). Observe your meter. It should have stopped. Write down the reading.

Then go and turn on everything in the flat, take a kettle or fan heater and run it at every socket, run some hot water, turn on the lights.

Observe their electricity meter (if they have one). It should increment every time you turn on something in their flat.

Then go downstairs and look at your meter. Has it moved? If so, turn all the MCBs off and the main switch off, then go upstairs and see if any light, socket or appliance has stopped working. If it hasn't moved, then there is nothing to suggest the flat is using your electricity.

 

[Steve]

So do I turn my mains switch off and then turn things on in the flat one by one?

In relation to my CU. I said earlier it was a sunbed shop in a previous life and it still has a 3 phase supply and a 3 phase board to which one of the phases supplies the CU for the centre

Does the 3 phase board ONLY feed your shop? Or are there other breakers? We need pictures!

 

[nabby68]

Ok heres what i did. Pictures to follow.

I turned off all mcbs on consumer unit to shop but left mains switch on. Went up to flat and turned on lights, this gave a slight flicker to our meter. Then plugged in a kettle in flat, this made the flicker faster. Then turned off mains switch to incoming supply to shop which turned the lights and kitchen sockets off to the flat! The turned mains switch to shop back on which made the kitchen sockets live and lights on in flat. Then went to CU in flat and turned mains switch off in flat which turned off lights and sockets to flat. So i think something not quite right. Didnt have anymore time to do any further testing. Will post pics now

Also there was an absolute stack of pre payment cards left near the meter in the flat, so what have they been paying for?

 

[nabby68]

Pics.....

3phase supply to shop

meter in flat

CU in flat

CU in shop

Meter in shop

CU in flat

Meter in shop

 

[JohnD]

please describe the Main Switch

Is it separate from the consumer unit?

 

[nabby68]

please describe the Main Switch

Is it separate from the consumer unit?

The mains switch is on the incoming supply and switches the power off to the 3ph board which in turn switches the power of to the cu

 

[nabby68]

Mains switch

 

[EFLImpudence]

Whatever has been done, everything is going through your meter, isn't it?

 

[JohnD]

thanks, I see that now. It looks as if there is a 3-phase meter for the whole building, then a smaller single-phase meter in the flat. I suspect, but I can't follow the cables, that it is a subsidiary of the 3-phase meter, in which case it would be tracking usage that has already been tracked. That would be acceptable if it was a tenant's meter and the downstairs person charged the flat, but is not right when they are independent tenants.

If you can follow the cables on their route from the big meter and the main switch, it may become clearer.

 

[nabby68]

thanks, I see that now. It looks as if there is a 3-phase meter for the whole building, then a smaller single-phase meter in the flat. I suspect, but I can't follow the cables, that it is a subsidiary of the 3-phase meter, in which case it would be tracking usage that has already been tracked

I think you are right. I think one of the phases feeds the flat and then goes through both meters. My question is, where do i take this now?

 

[JohnD]

try to follow the route of the cables. If you follow them and take photos, it may be clearer to see. If that is the problem, point it out to your electricity supplier.

It may help to follow the cable down from the flat, and mark it with coloured chalk (which is not damaging to cable and can easily be wiped off) to make it easier to see. Tyre fitters use a greasy chalk that sticks better to rubber and plastic. I have not seen it in shops but a friendly tyre merchant might give you a bit.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YELLOW-TYRE-CHALK-WAX-/131052356276?hash=item1e835442b4:g:at4AAMXQWzNSjQQt

 

[EFLImpudence]

The electricity supplier presumably should repay you all the flat tenants have paid.

Contact them - the ones who send your bill and the ones who charge for the flat.
Are there company names on the meters?

If it was they who installed it, they did it wrongly (assuming I/we are right).

 

[EFLImpudence]

There will be a name on the cards.

 

[nabby68]

Not sure if i can mention companies on here, certainly wouldnt want to mention the company we pay as we have had terrible trouble with them, ending up with the Ombudsman earler this year!

 

[nabby68]

The electricity supplier presumably should repay you all the flat tenants have paid.

Contact them - the ones who send your bill and the ones who charge for the flat.
Are there company names on the meters?

If it was they who installed it, they did it wrongly (assuming I/we are right).

Is this not an offence?