Are my neighbours bypassing the electric meter?

anewman

Live in a small block of flats. When the new neighbours moved in the main fuse blew supplying all the flats' circuits. Then an electrician who was from the local electric board said their meter was smoking and he had to turn our electric off to replace it. Later I noticed the lower cover which houses the live and neutral wires on the meter had been removed. The meter is a prepay meter and is now blank and not lit up, and the cover has been replaced and has a sticker across the cover stating to the effect of it is an offence to tamper with it.

If the prepay smart key/fob meter display is completely blank, and not lit up, would this mean no electric supply? They're able to play loud music all night long till 6am.

Andy_WSM

anewman wrote: »

They're able to play loud music all night long till 6am.

LOL, If you know where the main fuses are then go & pull theirs out - I would

LilacPixie

I guess they could of got a bill meter installed within the property or another prepay meter if there has been in issue with the wires leading to the external one. It may of been simpler to site a meter elsewhere rather than fix the issue with the old one

BargainGalore

Equally wake them up with a dose of breakfast tv on high volume and off to work

Oh better still the song, Agadoo on a loop, or Birdee song

Andy_WSM wrote: »

LOL, If you know where the main fuses are then go & pull theirs out - I would

anewman

Andy_WSM wrote: »

LOL, If you know where the main fuses are then go & pull theirs out - I would

Lol, it's trip switches, and the thought had crossed my mind, but then again equally they have access to ours and they're closer to them.

Also thought about the loud annoying music, but that may annoy neighbours other than them and make us as bad as they are. We're probably more concerned about the strong cannabis smell coming up that accompanies their all night music sessions. Also concerned about the "joyriding style" of their visitors driving (some of which no doubt done under the influence of drugs which invalidates their insurance - if they have any to start with). Somewhat unhelpfully the layouts of the flats are reversed so we're over their lounge in the bedroom and over their bedroom in our lounge. We're considering writing to the letting agency pointing out the terms in their contract, stating we're not sure if we want to renew our tenancy contract - I can't see them chucking them out, but if they write them a strong worded letter saying they will get chucked out if they continue that *might* be enough to stop them.

undaunted

Noise is a matter for Environmental Health, Canabis & joy riding the police. If you KNEW that they are fiddling the electricity matter then it may be a matter for the supplier & Police but otherwise & if it is / could be thought to be merely a matter of you not liking the neighbours & therefore assuming they are upto no good I would personally leave that one well alone until you do know.

anewman

undaunted wrote: »

& therefore assuming they are upto no good I would personally leave that one well alone until you do know.

You are of course correct but I noticed the little things and thought no meter display means the electric is not being metered. If I saw some wires clearly cut and joined together then it would be a different matter altogether.

hippey

Some meters are blank or run in a cycle of display figures, if your not sure call your local electric distributor, they are normally happy to have a look if you think it's been bypassed. Are there extra wires around compared to you meter?
One word of warning though, don't touch it just in case!

ricky9

Why are you looking at there meter in the first place?
Would you like it if other people took an intrest in your meter.
It is none of your business leave well alone.

DCFC79

If the neighbours ar emaking noise eg loud music then keep a diary and report them to the council

anewman

ricky9 wrote: »

Why are you looking at there meter in the first place?
Would you like it if other people took an intrest in your meter.
It is none of your business leave well alone.

Because it's next to my meter. They moved in and a fuse blew that otherwise hasn't blown in however long. The meter is fine then suddenly after they've moved in it meeds replacing because it is "smoking". Then later a safety cover off the brand new meter is pulled off and reattached with a warning sticker on saying it is a criminal offence to tamper. Hardly difficult to notice all this I'm afraid, especially when your electric goes off twice.

I wouldn't care if other people took an interest in my meter because it's next to other meters, and I don't muck around with it or pull safety covers off.

hippey wrote: »

Some meters are blank or run in a cycle of display figures. Are there extra wires around compared to you meter?

The meter appears the same as and had the exact same display as the other meters there, which is lit up with digits on display showing how much credit is left. It is now blank after the new cover and legal sticker were attached. It could be that this is a third meter though and operates differently. I assumed there would be a one answer fits all meters though which it seems is not the case. I thought it unusual combined with all the other electrical oddities that have gone on when the display changed.

Since they moved in what appears to be an earth wire is loose in front of the meters but I think this is since they were prodding, pulling and poking anything possible around the meters when they managed to blow the fuses, presumably to try get the electric back on - so is probably just a displaced wire.

I'll leave em to it on the electric anyway. Hopefully there won't be any more loss of electric or fires.