HELP, How to prove power theft through my circuit from the flat above

[user 36254]

Dear members,
I am posting this thread out of desperation. I need to prove my Here is the story...
I am pretty sure that my neighbor is tampering my electricity through my circuit. At first the meter room was locked since summer and it was opened again when a power outage happened at our building in December when I was on holiday. In January I noticed increased usage of electricity in my bill. I am on rent, have no debt and my usage was always the same. The first time I turned off everything and checked the meter it was still running. Usually when I unplug the fridge the red light on the meter stays on constantly but the light was still flashing.
Then I started switching sockets off, trying to find where is the leak. It was then I noticed the neighbor above moving along with me in the same rooms and switching the same sockets after me. This is still happening. Very soon I noticed that every time I switched off, a socket a noisy appliance from above stops including washing machine.
Every time I leave my electricity on for thirty minutes with just a lamp on, I am charged a unit. This can happen with any socket I use. When I switched off electricity from consumer box for three days they had people working on their floor, during the night, exactly in front of the socket locations to remove floor tiles, work inside the floor then check the socket switch. I have noticed the sound of two floor switches. Usually they access them when I turn off electricity completely for too long. I have assumed they control the different power supplies.
I reported it to the housing association and they said that is impossible as they must have had access to my flat at some point although they sent an electrician who checked the box my meter and some of the sockets and could not find anything. But the time the electrician was checking they there was no use from above.
It has been a month that I only sleep in the house with the electricity off. but again when I turn on they continue chasing me around checking which part of the house I am at and which socket I have on. Their moves are very quite now but I can still hear the switch sound. They have understood I know but they continue doing it.
The only positive thing is that I saw that they tamper their meter (credit meter) as well which is constantly off but when they tamper it, it is working for a second then a bam noise is heard inside the ceiling of the meter room. They repeat this for a few times until the get electricity I assume. I have reported the issue to Stay Energy Safe but they said the investigation might take too long. I understand it is difficult to believe with just some indications.

Please let me know how to prove what is happening above. Should I hire an electrician to have a full electrical check? I am not the owner. Would the police help? Any suggestions how to handle the situation because I cannot live at my flat right now and I am worried about my safety too. as they know I know

Apologies for the long message
Thank in advance

 

[binky]

if you turn off the main switch on your board in the flat, does your meter continue to record usage? Your meter should change to a red led not flashing showing its got leccy but nothing is being used.

Police would not be interested, however, if they are somehow fiddling their meter, I would report to their energy supplier, although finding out who that is may not be easy. Link below may be some help.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-pol... 0808 223 1133 (Monday,to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

 

[user 36254]

Hi Binky. Thanks for the message.
When my main is off the red light is still. But when I turn on even without anything plugged in it starts flashing. I have already reported it to stay energy safe but the investigation takes long they said. How can I catch them? What about electrical safety check? Would they find any stray connections to the circuits?

 

[binky]

an inspection would not necessarily reveal anything.

When you first switch on, it will flash a few times, but it will only continue to do so if there is something using electric. That could be a long list of things, from gas boilers to electric showers to Tv signal amplifiers to cooker clock - there's nearly always something using leccy at a low level.

So they had some flooring work done, in which case it maybe that they tapped into one of your circuits depending on how the flat was built and wired. Chances are, if they had done that they would have tripped your RCD or the Circuit breaker as that would involved working live.

When you say 'switch off a socket' are you talking about the wall socket or a socket circuit? There's no way of switching from a socket on the wall. Next time they have a noisy appliance running, turn off your entire board and see if it stops.

One final question, are you on a smart meter, are your bills estimated, or do you take your own readings for billing purposes.

 

[user 36254]

I am not on a smart meter and I take readings myself.
I meant the wall switches for wall sockets
The floor work can be heard everyday at specific places close to the wall sockets when I keep my electricity off. When I switch off specific wall switches or the entire board their machines stop working.(and they start running) There must be an underfloor switch, I can clearly hear it that the switch between supplies.
When I first switched off the entire board for 24hours I heard them access underneath the floor during the night but again close to the wall sockets, they changed something.
The meter's red light works as you said but surprisingly it flashes when nothing is on.
I worry they have accessed my flat in July during my holiday. I am watching their moves over my head but in reality they are watching mine.

 

[Geoff1946]

Have you talked to your landlord about your worries?

 

[binky]

It's possible they have tapped into a junction box. You can get some cheap simple inspection cameras that work with your phone, if you have downlighters it would be possible to drop one down and have a look.

 

[Murdoch]

What is your actual usage in kWh per week or month?

 

[ProDave]

Run down your frozen food to nothing, then turn off your complete consumer unit for LONG periods when you don't actually need to use anything, and whenever you are out. If the neighbour is stealing your electric, he might get tired when nothing works.

 

[Murdoch]

Do you only have 1 socket circuit? Does the cooker circuit have a socket?

 

[Andy™]

is there an isolator for upstairs you can switch off? if you know they are out and can hear something noisy being used, i.e washing machine, turn off their power see if it keeps running. if it does switch off your power

 

[user 36254]

Have you talked to your landlord about your worries?

I made a formal complaint. They sent an electrician who checked the main board and some sockets but I couldn't hear anything from upstairs. The electrician also said in order to tamper my supply they needed access to my flat so he didn't look further.

 

[user 36254]

is there an isolator for upstairs you can switch off? if you know they are out and can hear something noisy being used, i.e washing machine, turn off their power see if it keeps running. if it does switch off your power

Upstairs is a different flat. I do not have to isolate something. But the floor between us is not concrete. This is how I found out a month ago, I started switching off, first the sockets, then the area breaker or the whole main board. Everything would stop immediately.

 

[user 36254]

Do you only have 1 socket circuit? Does the cooker circuit have a socket?

The kitchen has everything. The cooker and the boiler are connected to their supply but they both have a wall switch. Then I have a 3 sockets with separate switch for fridge, washi machine, etc.. other sockets exist. especially in the kitchen is where I noticed their activity. I guess because the circuit is enhanced? Is one of the spots they remove the floor tiles and access a kind of a switch underfloor

 

[user 36254]

Run down your frozen food to nothing, then turn off your complete consumer unit for LONG periods when you don't actually need to use anything, and whenever you are out. If the neighbour is stealing your electric, he might get tired when nothing works.

Everything is off for two weeks now. I almost live with my friend now, eat out and even spent long time at the gym and I also spend time in the dark at home.
The minute I turn on power to use the kettle for half a min they run to switch on. Usually the washing machine starts at the spinning circle. This why I have made this post. It is obvious they need electricity because now that I keep my power of they tamper their meter more often. But I can't stand it anymore either. Except from criminal activity it is also a violation of my personal life.
They had time to stop doing it but they keep on like parasites.
I need to expose this. At the end is Health and safety issue rewiring a whole flat illegally.

 

[apprentice87]

if you turn off the main switch on your board in the flat, does your meter continue to record usage? Your meter should change to a red led not flashing showing its got leccy but nothing is being used.

Police would not be interested, however, if they are somehow fiddling their meter, I would report to their energy supplier, although finding out who that is may not be easy. Link below may be some help.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/policy-and-regulatory-programmes/electricity-theft#:~:text=Call: 0808 223 1133 (Monday,to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

This should do it!

https://www.findmysupplier.energy/

 

[michael8554]

"The cooker and the boiler are connected to their supply but they both have a wall switch"

Does this mean you share a kitchen ?

 

[user 36254]

It's possible they have tapped into a junction box. You can get some cheap simple inspection cameras that work with your phone, if you have downlighters it would be possible to drop one down and have a look.

There is access from the kitchen ceiling which is lowered for air vent. I have never opened it is a small plastic lid. What kind of camera is that. But again if I find something how can I use it? With the police? call an electrician to confirm it? call my energy supplier? What?

This should do it!

https://www.findmysupplier.energy/

I rent this one bed flat. I do not share anything

 

[Murdoch]

Surely you should be discussing this in writing, further with your landlord ................

 

[UNG]

It's possible they have tapped into a junction box. You can get some cheap simple inspection cameras that work with your phone, if you have downlighters it would be possible to drop one down and have a look.

Some of the inspection cameras are that small you only need a 4 or 5mm hole which can be very easily filled after the inspection if there are no downlights