Annex flat with 2 electric meters - 1 not working ?

Cakeeater_2

I live in an annex/granny flat thats part of a big house - The landlord lives in the main part of the house and me in the converted part.

I've been in a month and when I've checked what he tells me is my electric meter the number hasn't changed from a month ago when I moved in. I registered this original number when I setup the electric account.

There is a 2nd meter in another meter box thats a more traditional one with a spinning wheel. If throw my breaker in 'my' fuse box my lights go off and the electric stops, and the wheel slows down but doesn't stop.

So my electric used is certainly being registered through this wheel meter but I guess its also registering the main house as well.

The 1st meter thats not changing - could this be a slave meter off the main one thats meant to register the flat's part of the power used ? Assuming this is the case would the electric company be using my reading from this and my landlords from the 'main' meter to get a proper reading for both of us ? Or is this all rubbish ?

Cakeeater_2

To answer my own question - it looks like the place has never been wired up properly and the landlord has been unknowingly paying the tenants bills for years.

It seems almost everything in the flat goes through the landlord's house meter and the meter for the flat seems to be using 0.1 of a unit per 6 months - so I guess theres one light somewhere going through it.

naked

Definitely sounds like something isn't right.

Apparently it's quite common for there to be 1 electricity supply which the landlord gets a bill for, and a sub meter to just your bit which he then reads and you pay him for the electricity.
However it sounds like you've got a separate supply which you have set up with an electricity company? (or its supposed to be separate) In this case it sounds like someone has fiddled with the wiring to steal the electricity from next door I'm not suggesting you've done this, or that it was ever done deliberately.

Are you the first person to live in the annexe since the meter was installed? I would have thought the electricity company would have been out to check the meter when the previous tenants were there if they were using 0.2 units/year.

You might want to let the landlord know so he can get it sorted out. He'll want some money off you for the previous month's electricity you have 'pinched' but he'll probably be very grateful that you've told him!