My electricity meter is supplying two flats

CandyBar_2

Hello,

I have discovered today that my electricity meter, which is in the entrance of my building, is supplying both my flat and the one below it. However it seems (although I have yet to see this with my own eyes) that this flat below then has its own separate meter, so effectively the electricity being used by the flat below is being paid for twice (once by me, once by the person below). We are both with different energy suppliers.

Can anyone advise on:

• how to get the wiring fixed - presumably an electrician needs to come in, but do I deal with that?
• how to recover the money I have paid for my neighbour's electricity since I moved in (a year ago)
• who should be paying for the cost of the rewiring (I have a share of the freehold, and the flat below is rented out)

Thanks!

macman

You need to speak to your electricity supplier to investigate. It's nothing that an electrician can touch.
How can you be sure that one meter feeds the other?
Is one some sort of private meter?

Cardew

The flat downstairs should have its own supply. The owner of the other flat should pay for this.

1. It will be fairly easy for an electrician to disconnect the downstairs flat - but then the tenants will have no electricity and it is not their fault.

2. Did you have a survey done when you bought the flat? If so take it up with the surveyor.

3. Your solicitor should have ascertained the position on electricity supply before contracts were exchanged.

4. You can attempt to get your electricity company to rebate you for the bills paid by the downstairs flat - you will need to furnish them with evidence.

5. 'Buyer beware' might apply in this case.

6. Good luck

CandyBar_2

1. Yes, as you say the flat downstairs can easily be disconnected, but since it is neither the fault of its owner or its tenant, this would be a last resort!

2. Yes, but surely that would only cover the actual flat and not the common areas. The meter is in the building's entrance.

3. Our solicitor merely passed on the questionnaire info from the sellers which stated that they were being supplied by company X. (It turned out that they were not paying for their electricity at all, as when I called to register the meter I am using, nobody even knew of its existence)

4. So would you advise I ask the downstairs tenant for copies of his bills (from another supplier) which I could then give to my supplier to have them take this consumption off my bills?

Thanks for the advice - I'm certainly glad I discovered this now, as opposed to many years later

CandyBar_2

macman wrote: »

You need to speak to your electricity supplier to investigate. It's nothing that an electrician can touch.
How can you be sure that one meter feeds the other?
Is one some sort of private meter?

Sorry, missed your reply!

I am sure that my meter feeds the downstairs flat as a) the meter keeps ticking when I cut power to my flat, and b) when I cut the power that comes out of my meter, and then turn it back on, I hear all sorts of noises from the flat downstairs (things turning back on).

macman

Where are you switching off?
Is there not a separate CU for the downstairs flat?

CandyBar_2

macman wrote: »

Where are you switching off?
Is there not a separate CU for the downstairs flat?

I've made a diagram:



When I turn off only switch 2, the power to my flat goes off. When I turn off switch 1 & 2, and then turn switch 1 back on, the power in my flat stays off, but the power comes back on in the flat below.

CandyBar_2

Cardew wrote: »

2. Did you have a survey done when you bought the flat? If so take it up with the surveyor.

The survey (well, the homebuyer's report) only says:

"The fuseboard is located in the first floor landing cupboard with the meter being located in the ground floor entrance cupboard."

Would the surveyor be responsible for noticing that the meter was connected to two flats?

warehouse

How did you discover this?

CandyBar_2

warehouse wrote: »

How did you discover this?

It has now been almost a year since I moved in so I decided to look into my consumption for the whole year, and average it out over summer & winter. I found that it was not consistent with my usage, nor did it make sense when compared to the bills of other people I know (3700 kWh per year for one person, excluding heating which is gas). I then did the tests I mentioned in posts 5 & 7.

macman

CandyBar wrote: »

I've made a diagram, but the forum won't let me link to it, so you'll have to copy & paste - sorry

img830.imageshack.us/img830/3672/electricitymeterdiagram.png

When I turn off only switch 1, the power to my flat goes off. When I turn off switch 1 & 2, and then turn switch 2 back on, the power in my flat stays off, but the power comes back on in the flat below.

Sorry, but that makes no sense according to your diagram. If switch 1 is off, then switching 2 on or off can make no difference (i.e. 1 is the master, and 2 controls your flat only). Switching off at 1 should cut both flats is they're in series.
Can you recheck the wiring sequence?
3700 kWh is not that high for a flat with C/H.
And a homebuyers report (nor a full survey) will cover the wiring.