Advice needed - landlord using our electricity

youravinalarrrf

Which ever way you look at this there is no acceptable excuse. It's theft and more than likely deliberate. Flip the fuse off at your meter and leave it off and do not allow the landlord access to your meter.

Stand back and wait for the fireworks to begin. The speed at which someone bangs on your door requesting access to the meter will tell you if the landlord was fully aware or not and whether it has been deliberate theft. In the mean time with the power to the business disconnected you should be able to work out roughly how much power the business has been using each month. Send him a bill or agree a rent reduction to cover it. If necessary you could always threaten to take him to court for cost of the last 5 years of electricity he's been thieving off you.

My advice would be not to get involved in any convoluted agreements which would obviously affect both you and any future tenant. 

If you feel strongly enough report the theft here https://www.stayenergysafe.co.uk/resources/electricity/stealing-electricity-key-facts/

coffeehound

In the first instance it would be worth leaving the circuit on and switching everything in your home off to see what sort of amount of useage they are taking.  As said, if they are running heaters it could be significant.  This proof could then be used in negotiations for compensation

Ultrasonic

bbsparkles said:

They already know that we know about it, as they offered the one off £20 payment when we raised it with the estate agent, 

I think you realise this but £20 is a farcical amount for a 5 year period, both in terms of likely cost to you but even more so re. what the landlord should have been paying for a business use electricity supply. 

RJames

flick the fuse off - see how long it takes for the landlord to contact you.

Archie_Duke

RJames you clearly haven’t read the whole thread.

The landlord already knows he’s rumbled. The estate agent (presumably one retained to manage the property by said LL) has been approached and OP says in the 1st post of this thread:

<<we were offered a one off payment of £20 by the landlords to cover costs. Does this seem right? What would you do in the circumstances?>>

The issue that remains is how much should the LL actually pay back for 5 years of receiving free electricity for the building firm and how does the OP address the issue from here. They’ve already tried switching off at the fuse to prove the connection to the other building.

 RJames said:

flick the fuse off - see how long it takes for the landlord to contact you.

Archie_Duke

coffeehound said:

In the first instance it would be worth leaving the circuit on and switching everything in your home off to see what sort of amount of useage they are taking.  As said, if they are running heaters it could be significant.  This proof could then be used in negotiations for compensation

I think this is a sound bit of advice. Leave your properties power off for as long as you can 4 hours would be ideal. Take readings at the start and the end, multiply by 6 for a daily total, multiply again by 1825 if it’s been a full 5 years. Multiply the total kWh by your tariff rate. Whether they can be made to pay 🤷 but you should treat this seriously and consider a court claim after sending them a bill with x days in which to pay in full.

Phlik

Archie_Duke said:

RJames you clearly haven’t read the whole thread.

The landlord already knows he’s rumbled. The estate agent (presumably one retained to manage the property by said LL) has been approached and OP says in the 1st post of this thread:

<<we were offered a one off payment of £20 by the landlords to cover costs. Does this seem right? What would you do in the circumstances?>>

The issue that remains is how much should the LL actually pay back for 5 years of receiving free electricity for the building firm and how does the OP address the issue from here. They’ve already tried switching off at the fuse to prove the connection to the other building.

 RJames said:

flick the fuse off - see how long it takes for the landlord to contact you.

At this point I'd very very angry and would be going all in. Fuse off, visit to the police naming the landlord and the lettings agent and a visit to a solicitor.

[Deleted User]

Phlik said:

At this point I'd very very angry and would be going all in. Fuse off, visit to the police naming the landlord and the lettings agent and a visit to a solicitor.

Hi,

might need to find somewhere to live as well.

Phlik

[Deleted User] said:

Phlik said:

At this point I'd very very angry and would be going all in. Fuse off, visit to the police naming the landlord and the lettings agent and a visit to a solicitor.

Hi,

might need to find somewhere to live as well.

I'm sure throwing your tenants out after they've found you stealing from them will be good move, which is why I'd be reporting everything straight to the police, if the landlord wants to make their situation worse then all the better for the tenants.

razord

RJames said:

flick the fuse off - see how long it takes for the landlord to contact you.

This is the best way forward... you can play ignorance if they ask you about it... "Oh, my bills have been high and the electrician said this wasn't for my flat so I could leave it off".