suspicious wires from neighbours next door

[snowman13]

Hey All.

I noticed three wires coming into my side of the house from the neighbours side, where our partition wall meets.

I had the elec guys over recently, who updated my meter, to a digital readout one.

I recognize the yellow as the neighbors earth, but the other two? hummm

My question is...

Are my neighbours using my electricity or is this an old set up and they are just using the main supply cable, which happens to be on my side, maybe because the joined two semi's were once lived in by one family?

any guidance would be really appreciated

thank you.

View media item 72944 View media item 72945

 

[Micilin]

What did 'the elec guys' say?

 

[snowman13]

What did 'the elec guys' say?

Nothing regarding that wiring, as I never noticed it until recently.

they were from Scottish Power, did a fast job too of the transfer.

 

[ajstoneservices]

They are not using your electricity .................But kin state of it

 

[buck51]

You and your neighbour are sharing one in coming main, which is split at the first junction box,

Quite common practice seen it many times,

 

[Bodgeitandleggit]

several years ago I noticed a smell coming from the elec cupboard and when I touched the main fuse on the feed it was very hot so phoned local elec company... guys turns up and turns off the power to work on it but also knocked next door to advise them that the power will go off for about 30mins.. I had a shared feed but did not know until this problem arose

 

[Jackrae]

Wonder what nasty surprise that wrap of black tape on your neighbour's feeder is hiding.

You also seem to have had a bit of a "blow-out" on one of your consumer unit circuits.

 

[snowman13]

You and your neighbour are sharing one in coming main, which is split at the first junction box,

Quite common practice seen it many times,

So there is a possibility that one family lived in both houses, and shared the costs of usage. I'm talking 20+ years ago.

How common is it that the incoming could get 'Hot' and spark, triggered by high usage by the neighbours?

I've not touched to check, or smelt any obvious smell coming from under the stairs.

 

[snowman13]

Wonder what nasty surprise that wrap of black tape on your neighbour's feeder is hiding.

You also seem to have had a bit of a "blow-out" on one of your consumer unit circuits.

Th blow out fuse was removed. never used it since. LOL...I think it was the neighbors fuse for their elec kettle! haha

Me thinks, by the looks of it, the black tape was placed by the SP guys, to keep the lose wires together.

I might give the neighbours a ring, see if they can renew the wires coming into my side of the wall; they look too old and catch fire with an overload.. or is their consumer box equipped to do that?

 

[ajstoneservices]

I might give the neighbours a ring, see if they can renew the wires coming into my side of the wall; they look too old and catch fire with an overload.. or is their consumer box equipped to do that?

Good idea to phone instead of getting him around to see the 5hite on your side

 

[stillp]

So there is a possibility that one family lived in both houses, and shared the costs of usage. I'm talking 20+ years ago.

No, it's just the electricity supplier saving a bit of money at the time of original installation.

 

[Jackrae]

"I had the elec guys over recently, who updated my meter, to a digital readout one"

Board label reads "11/11" so you obviously haven't been too worried about the situation for the past couple of years; why now, or is there something that you haven't yet mentioned ?

 

[ekmdgrf]

I might give the neighbours a ring, see if they can renew the wires coming into my side of the wall; they look too old and catch fire with an overload.. or is their consumer box equipped to do that?

In theory the cascade of fuses are there to prevent overloads resulting in the deflagration of your property.

Regarding the supply, the give away, is that if you look at these wires, they are the wrong side of the meter for the neighbours to be "stealing" your electricity.

On a couple of points of order though, while one could in theory steal the conductors, one can't really steal electricity. Nevertheless, it can be abstracted under the Theft Act, 1968.

It's perhaps also a bit of a stretch to suggest it's your electricity. Electricity is a flow of electrons, in this case the electrons that are a component of the copper atoms that make up the conductors. So perhaps in the most part, the electricity belongs to the DNO.

 

[stillp]

I might give the neighbours a ring, see if they can renew the wires coming into my side of the wall

The wires are the DNO's, not your neighbours'.
Whats that thin wire on top of the meter board that looks as if it also goes through the wall? Looks like twin bell wire.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I noticed three wires coming into my side of the house from the neighbours side

Whilst we're in pedantic mode -

The wires are not coming from the neighbour's side; they are going to it.