Soldato
Do electricians ever have high electric bills ???
Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)
- Thread starter DXP55
- Start date
I bet their neighbours do
I give up sometimes, why bother if you aren't going to have a sensible discussion?
why would it be madness to give some people who have likely been struggling since the energy cap rise £650 in one go? you think poor people can't be trusted with money? it's their own fault for not being able to budget? they are going to spend it all on fags and booze?
not all and probably not a majority but yes that will happen in some cases
How do these rings work then? Seems its common knowledge the way you guys are talking about it.
Completely bypassing the grid would obviously get noticed bills based on zero usage are instant flag raisers, but if it was more subtle with just a usage reduction, then that would be something that could work.
By sounds of it you spur off the mains and have some of your house billed and some unbilled. Say you put a hot tub or a crypto miner off the spur. They'd never notice.
The thing that this person messaged about is replacing the meter
Seems obvious, unless it looks like a normal meter? It then reports a lower number than your using.
How do these rings work then? Seems its common knowledge the way you guys are talking about it.
Completely bypassing the grid would obviously get noticed bills based on zero usage are instant flag raisers, but if it was more subtle with just a usage reduction, then that would be something that could work.
If you werent been greedy and dropping your electric use to zero, I would take a spur from before the meter and wire that into your socket and cooker circuits only on your distribution board. That way you would still use electric for lights and stuff but for your mining, cooking and electric heating, it would all be free.
Or figure out some balance so perhaps you are just paying 25% of what you used to pay.
Its paying nothing which catches you out.
I watched a reality tv program following the electric inspectors around to try and find people conning the system and they came across a mini supermarket where they had a wired most of the supermarket from a spur taken from the street lamp outside. When they switched off the main meter, most of the shop lights and fridges stayed on. In the end they found all the electrics and distribution board for the new feed behind a false wall.
In another episode they found a posh restaurant where their entire feed was taken from an empty property next door where they had put a spur in before the meter.
Soldato
What I'm missing here though is where are people taking the spur from?
If it's post fuse pre meter then most meter boxes only have a foot or so of cable between the two, and it's obvious to anyone who inspects it so exposes you to a lot of risk.
If it's elsewhere, i.e pre fuse, then you have to cut into the cable live before it comes into the meter box, which is difficult to do.
Soldato
Also most cutouts have tamper measures in with pre-moulded cables to reduce that between meter.
Soldato
Electric eric said Like the tv sales people don't let them in
Maybe it is difficult to do but honestly if you watch the tv programmes with the electric investigators going round, its always a spur which somebody has had to do when live. Quite often its into the street to the lighting posts.
In the program with the supermarket they had to dig up the pavement to cut the cable they had spurred off to the shop.
When there is a lot of money involved to be saved, you will be amazed at the lengths people go to.
I cant find the program I watched, but this shows similar back in 2014 when electric was cheap compared to now
BBC One - Inside Out London, 20/01/2014, Power theft
Mark Jordan joins British Gas detectives tracking down those stealing gas and electricity
Soldato
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Was expecting youbto say she froze to death over winter. Does it really matter what people spend it on though, it's entirely their choice.
what heating allowance? winter fuel payments arent sent as cash
Winter fuel payments are paid directly into bank accounts.
oh sorry, I was thinking of "warm home discount"
the one your talking about is only for people over 67 anyway that either get state pension or some other benefit.
I doubt theres much abuse with it
Associate
State pensioner's will do ok, £200 for everyone with the winter fuel payment (300 for over 80) plus they will receive an additional £300 in November or December.
With the £400 to every household that brings it up to £900 in total.
They will need it around my area, rural no gas, a lot of pensioners in bungalows with storage heaters only, built in the 80's
With the £400 to every household that brings it up to £900 in total.
They will need it around my area, rural no gas, a lot of pensioners in bungalows with storage heaters only, built in the 80's
Soldato
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Who reads meters these days though? The last time a man actually came to read mine must have been at least 10 years ago. Which is probably what they're gambling on.
Soldato
Try significantly reducing your normal usage (by doing this install or another way) and see how long it takes them to come read your meter.