Help needed on extremely high electricity bill

BooJewels

I have actually read all 22 pages of this thread as it has gone along and am wondering a little why @Gentlegiant seems a bit reticent about finding a solution - when so much time has been given by posters to offer a lot of great advice - and expertise.  If I thought that a neighbour and maybe unscrupulous landlord had been using juice that I might be billed for, I'd be hopping mad and chomping at the bit to get it sorted.

I would add a little wee suggestion of my own - I'm currently managing an empty family property and have gone to great lengths to make it look occupied - with lights on random timers, a TV emulator etc. etc. (and yes, those with good memories, it's the one with the blocked garden pump that gobbled electricity for a couple of weeks until I identified it, eluded to earlier in the thread) - so, if your downstairs neighbour has been 'away' for some time - have they done likewise?   Does the flat look lived in?

Before throwing the big red switch on your consumer unit - walk around the outside if possible or look through the letterbox and see if there are lights on etc. in the empty property and if there are, go and see if they remain on, once you throw the switch.

coffeehound

Yes this thread did trigger a bit of deja-vu

BooJewels

In my defence @coffeehound - at that time I was only visiting the property once a week and there had been a power cut in the middle which complicated things - which proved to be an untimely red herring.  It only came to light because I read the meter each time and know exactly how much I should and had been using, so an unusual spike was immediately obvious.  It was identifying it that proved complicated and took a couple of visits.  But it was an interesting education.

Talldave

BooJewels said:

In my defence @coffeehound - at that time I was only visiting the property once a week and there had been a power cut in the middle which complicated things - which proved to be an untimely red herring.  It only came to light because I read the meter each time and know exactly how much I should and had been using, so an unusual spike was immediately obvious.  It was identifying it that proved complicated and took a couple of visits.  But it was an interesting education.

This is less of a mystery!  Cables disappearing into the floor rings alarm bells. I'd have had those disconnected within 24hrs of moving in.

niktheguru

Talldave said:

BooJewels said:

In my defence @coffeehound - at that time I was only visiting the property once a week and there had been a power cut in the middle which complicated things - which proved to be an untimely red herring.  It only came to light because I read the meter each time and know exactly how much I should and had been using, so an unusual spike was immediately obvious.  It was identifying it that proved complicated and took a couple of visits.  But it was an interesting education.

This is less of a mystery!  Cables disappearing into the floor rings alarm bells. I'd have had those disconnected within 24hrs of moving in.

To be fair to the OP, most tenants would probably not notice this when they went to a new flat and would just read the meters. However now its been pointed out i'm surprised hes not more pro-active in finding the cause by doing some simple tests. 

BooJewels

Talldave said:

BooJewels said:

In my defence @coffeehound - at that time I was only visiting the property once a week and there had been a power cut in the middle which complicated things - which proved to be an untimely red herring.  It only came to light because I read the meter each time and know exactly how much I should and had been using, so an unusual spike was immediately obvious.  It was identifying it that proved complicated and took a couple of visits.  But it was an interesting education.

This is less of a mystery!  Cables disappearing into the floor rings alarm bells. I'd have had those disconnected within 24hrs of moving in.

Indeed - I would have engaged an electrician before involving the landlord (probably worth it if you're disputing a couple of grands worth of electricity - my silly issue was only about 20 quids worth) - because I'd assume he'd have to be complicit to some degree - and his technician is certainly likely to be if he is.  I'd want all my evidence compiled and ducks in a row before I played that particular hand.  But I'm sneaky like that - I'd probably enjoy the game and having some sport with it way too much.  Plus I'd want very good evidence on hand for disputing the bill.

Gerry1

BooJewels said:

Plus I'd want very good evidence on hand for disputing the bill.

Unfortunately the OP probably won't be able to dispute the bill, at least not with BG.  The energy has been used and so will have to be paid at the rip-off rate unless the meter is found to be faulty, which is beginning to look unlikely especially as the OP still hasn't done a sanity check of a realistic duration.

It's also probably far too late to dispute the opening reading, but bearing in mind the strange wiring one wonders whether a deliberately low final reading was given in the hope, sadly fulfilled, that the OP wouldn't submit any readings.

BooJewels

If not with BG directly, I'd certainly want to be disputing it with the landlord or the neighbour - or taking legal action, whatever form that might need to take.  I wouldn't just pay someone else's bill without a fight.  And you'd perhaps need compelling evidence to show BG for them to accept future readings which should end up being very much lower.

Gentlegiant

Below are the observations from the readings from Sunday night to Tuesday night. 

Sunday night 

Rate 1- 25898.69

Rate 2- 76744.12

Tuesday night 
Rate 1 - 25902.11
Rate 2- 76755.26

Here are also the results if the test after switching of the main consumer unit for an hour

Before 

Rate 1 - 25902.11
Rate 2- 76755.2

After
Rate 1 - 25902.11

Rate 2 - 76755.35

I already know from Sunday that the meter reads when everything is switched off and it is why I have called the LL.
I will explore the possibility of getting the cable going from the meter underneath the flooring checked by an independent Electrician. But the readings above still doesnt suggest the massive usage over a  3 year period. This makes me assume perhaps whoever or whatever cause that usage may have stopped before I noticed it or way before the meter reader came. Because none of the tests I have done for a week now suggests any massive usage.

However, I am getting an independent electrician to have it checked. 

niktheguru

Gentlegiant said:

Below are the observations from the readings from Sunday night to Tuesday night. 

Sunday night 

Rate 1- 25898.69

Rate 2- 76744.12

Tuesday night 
Rate 1 - 25902.11
Rate 2- 76755.26

Here are also the results if the test after switching of the main consumer unit for an hour

Before 

Rate 1 - 25902.11
Rate 2- 76755.2

After
Rate 1 - 25902.11

Rate 2 - 76755.35

I already know from Sunday that the meter reads when everything is switched off and it is why I have called the LL.
I will explore the possibility of getting the cable going from the meter underneath the flooring checked by an independent Electrician. But the readings above still doesnt suggest the massive usage over a  3 year period. This makes me assume perhaps whoever or whatever cause that usage may have stopped before I noticed it or way before the meter reader came. Because none of the tests I have done for a week now suggests any massive usage.

However, I am getting an independent electrician to have it checked. 

The massive increase in usage may have been when someone was actually living in the flat below, and its lower now as its "empty"
If the landlord owns the lower flat it may be worth getting the "technician" to show you the meter for the flat downstairs and how its connected.
You should take plenty of pictures of your current setup (without anything cut off from the picture frame, take it from a bit further away, so you have picture proof of how things have been connected before anyone comes and changes things.)

Also, your consumer unit says it was due an inspection on 15/03/2020. Did your landlord organise this for you then? If it turns out the flat below has been using your electricity then you can also use this as part of your argument with the landlord saying safety testing wasn't carried out on time, so he should be liable for his share as he hasn't been maintaining the electrics properly.

Definitely get an electrician in.