brother in law is using a magnet on power meter

matelodave

Does this hard-up guy who is stealing from Tesco & the electricity company have a mobile phone, sky or virgin subscription, smoke, drink, gamble or even have a dabble on the lottery - if so he could reduce his outgoings by reducing some of these rather than expecting the rest of us to supplement his income.

When we were hard up, we had the phone taken out and used a call box if we needed to make phone calls so we could get ourselves straight - we never resorted to theft. I suspect some of these so-called hard up people both have mobile phones (and not cheap ones either) on contracts, together with a lot of the latest in high tech lying about the house.

Voyager2002

greatgimpo wrote: »

No, the important question is: do they actually work?

Well, at one time I had a meter that could be stopped with a fifty pence coin... Not a proper electricity company one, but provided by a landlord who was using it to re-sell to me at a significant mark-up.

[Deleted User]

magnet wont make it go backwards, solar panels can though, he s got to be winding you up. No prison, prosecutions involved in super easy UK. Its deemed as a cautionable offence by the Police, not that they will bother to get involved anyway

DragonQ

This thread is amusing.

Buzby

Depends what you mean by a 'modern' meter - the magnet trick does indeed work, but all it can do is slow down the spinning metal disk to make it register more slowly. The implement of choice was usually a bulk eraser, which enthusiasts who were into tape recording would wave it across the reel to wipe all recordings from the tape in readiness for a fresh recording - the BBC were big users of this technology to wipe episodes of Dr Who on videotape - although these were considerably larger.

Other tricks were knitting needles, or taking the meter disc off line by removing a link from the terminal block. None of these of course are of any use on digital meters.

[Deleted User]

I have a feeling that the OP is trolling around for information about magnets and electric meters, possibly for use his/her self to mitigate another round of large price rises. I would urge people not to give away any info which assists, theres still millions of analogue electric meters around and bypassers will make sure no meter fitters can get near them by never opening the door to them to change to digital or smart meters

hoijane

Mojisola wrote: »

Is that your definition of "not wasting money"?

What about all the things like switching to best deals for utilities, using the cheaper shops or the market, walking instead of using the car or bus, etc?

not spending money on non -essentials. what is yours?

hoijane

matelodave wrote: »

Does this hard-up guy who is stealing from Tesco & the electricity company have a mobile phone, sky or virgin subscription, smoke, drink, gamble or even have a dabble on the lottery - if so he could reduce his outgoings by reducing some of these rather than expecting the rest of us to supplement his income.

When we were hard up, we had the phone taken out and used a call box if we needed to make phone calls so we could get ourselves straight - we never resorted to theft. I suspect some of these so-called hard up people both have mobile phones (and not cheap ones either) on contracts, together with a lot of the latest in high tech lying about the house.

They have sky, bur bartered down the price and only drink at weekends and have snazzy phone from a couple of years ago that are now pay as you go. Anyway their finances are their buisness

hoijane

sacsquacco wrote: »

magnet wont make it go backwards, solar panels can though, he s got to be winding you up. No prison, prosecutions involved in super easy UK. Its deemed as a cautionable offence by the Police, not that they will bother to get involved anyway

perfect so its not possible and even if it was nothing would happen if i told on them other an a cation.

hoijane

sacsquacco wrote: »

I have a feeling that the OP is trolling around for information about magnets and electric meters, possibly for use his/her self to mitigate another round of large price rises. I would urge people not to give away any info which assists, theres still millions of analogue electric meters around and bypassers will make sure no meter fitters can get near them by never opening the door to them to change to digital or smart meters

seriously im on the internet if i wanted to look up dodgy information i would just google it and not post in a moderated consumer forum