utilitys:do they prosecute for meter tampering?

Terrylw1

SailorSam wrote: »

The only time i've seen anything in the papers about people fiddling the electric is when there has been a drugs raid on a cannabis factory. Apparently the plants take a lot of heating to make them grow.

They certainly do. Hydroponics use loads and there tends to be a lot being grown and suppliers detect these unusual patterns as well as the meter readers reporting it.

[Deleted User]

yes the big ones I ve seen in the papers,cannabis farms,a large nursing home, not the premiership footballer though who bypassed his swimming pool gas meter to the tune of £ 6 thousands pounds worth.( I m not revealing his name though).The 99.99% live to fight again without the bother of finding a suit to visit the local magistrates

SailorSam

A premiership footballer !!!
Wow as if they haven't got the money. You expect it to be the people who are living from week-to-week waiting for their giros.

Owain_Moneysaver

while it's fairly easy to prove that someone is watching telly without a licence (because you catch them in the room with the telly on), it's a lot harder to prove beyond reasonable doubt who has tampered with meters.

"It must have been like that when I moved in" is the common excuse. "I let a friend stay in the house for a few weeks some time ago. Maybe he did it" etc.

Also if it were widely reported then people would realise how easy it actually is to do.

Terrylw1

SailorSam wrote: »

A premiership footballer !!!
Wow as if they haven't got the money. You expect it to be the people who are living from week-to-week waiting for their giros.

Amazing eh? What about the large nursing home though...I wonder what the standard of care is like in there when they act like this :eek:

[Deleted User]

yes owain moneysaver, thats the favourite reply actually when i catch them, that is if its the type of house with a regular turn over.The ammount of money some of them get through is staggering.A terraced house I reported 2 years ago had fiddled over a £1000 worth of gas between mid November and February.The house was that hot they opened the windows to cool down.They were asylum seekers,so little chance of getting any money back at all.Still, a slap on the wrist and a dont do it again was the outcome to that.They always used to prosecute back in the 60s and 70s, I remember having a laugh at the shame of one of our neighbours whos name was in full print for us all to see,but thats progress I suppose

C_Mababejive

I think the whole system has become far more fragmented since privatisation. When The mighty and great British Gas Corporation ran everything it was all far more tightly controlled and safer. Circulation of meters and fittings was kept in house and controlled. Now the wheels have more or less fallen off and its a wild west free for all.

Whats the worst that happens if you get caught fiddling? They just bill you for the stolen gas.

You can then carry on fiddling.

Of course if referred to the police,they would prosecute and if discovered by police,there is a chance of prosecution but really...you can buy new and stolen meters on Ebay now and you can also buy home made meter bypasses so why bother paying for gas?

Ebay arent bothered.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GAS-METER-LOOP-PURGE-TEST-POINT-BRIDGE-TEST-RIG-FOR-DOMESTIC-METERS-/230763940066?pt=UK_DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item35ba9a48e2

By the way,this person is falsely representing this item as some kind of testing device which is complete rubbish.

He isnt the only one who sells them.

SailorSam

I didn't realise you could buy things like that, i don't suppose lots of people did. Personally i'd be a bit scared i'd blow not just myself but half the street up. And i think by pointing out that 'bypass' things are available you're only encouraging more fiddling.

C_Mababejive

SailorSam wrote: »

I didn't realise you could buy things like that, i don't suppose lots of people did. Personally i'd be a bit scared i'd blow not just myself but half the street up. And i think by pointing out that 'bypass' things are available you're only encouraging more fiddling.

Au contraire..i have emailed and reported such items to Ebay dozens of times as a breach of listing procedures (items encouraging illegal activity) and they have done nothing about it.

Dont shoot the messenger..;)

chanz4

If you ever want to report an item, contact the UKRPA via their website / phone with the details or crime stoppers. People do get prosecuted, however due to sensative info it is not published. Some suppliers pot end (remove service cable from street to house), gas main taps at the road