Tut Tut, Naughty Landlord.

[ProDave]

This mornings job, go to some flats as the lighting in the communal stair well was not working.

Simple job, just new lamps.

But had a look in the meter cupboard. Wish I hadn't.

3 phase supply head. 3 single phase meters feeding a submain to each of the 3 flats. All pretty ordinary.

But then there's a single way wylex fuse box for the communal stair well lighting and outside PIR light. Where does that get it's feed from?

STRAIGHT from one phase of the supply head. No meter. and what's more it's 6mm t&e straight into the supply head. someone has done a bodge job of "sleeving" the cores of the t&e in the belief this makes them double insulated and okay.

So the landlord has been stealing electricity for some time, Judging by the layers of dust on the cable. And the meters have obviously been changed recently, but the meter monkey failed to notice the problem.

I'm not sure what to do. I wasn't tasked with doing an eicr, just fix the lights. I guess I should at least point it out to the landlord, but to put it right would mean getting a 4th supply and 4th meter installed for the landlords supply, or taking it from one of the flat's meters, who would then end up paying for the communal lighting.

Or would you just say nothing and pretend you didn't notice?

 

[samson337]

It's still theft at the end of the day if only a few quid, but you were the last one in. Me I would report it

 

[Evans Electric]

Report it to the landlord , who may possibly not be aware of it . Or he may not be happy now that you know about it . Inform him that he has an illegal connection to the supply network and is risking a large fine and/or a prison sentence similar to the canibis factory guys.

How typical of the meter monkeys not to spot it .

If he doesn't get it altered , wait till you've been paid and call it in.

 

[kerching]

Pass it on...cover your **** as they will want somebody to blame eventually

 

[Steve3948]

Dave I would advise him that you have noted something that if you were doing test and inspection it would fail, also it's an illegal connection. I would do this in writing once you have been paid. Copy and post one to yourself and leave unopened just in case. I have about 15 just for that maybe one day.

 

[ProDave]

Thanks

Yes I'll advise the letting agent of the situation.

The thing is, as far as I know only one of the tree flats is let. I don't even know if the letting agent knows who is responsible for the stairwell. I got the distinct impression they just wanted the lights in the stairwell working and the letting agent is paying me to fix them, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's their responsibilty and them that are stealing the lecky.

 

[Sparkystu79]

The block where I stay is the same and there is many properties around my way with the same set up, was under the impression that communal lighting was unmetered and a small charge was added to your council tax, might be wrong though!

 

[Steve3948]

Yes you are wrong

 

[Sparkystu79]

Who pays for it in a block of privately owned flats then?

 

[ProDave]

Who pays for it in a block of privately owned flats then?

It should be metered and paid for by the management company. In England and Wales it's usual for flats to be leasehold and pay a maintenance fee to the freeholder to cover things like this.It's a little more complicated up here. Leasehold is rare. Even flats are usually freehold. We own one (that we rent out) and the way it works is the freehold is owned in proportionate share. So we jointly own the ground with the flat above, but we wholly own the garden.

In our case there are no communal stairways so we don't have this issue.

the solution to this one is going to be determine who actually owns the stairwell and they should pay for it. If it turns out the stairwell is jointly owned by the 3 flats, then the supply should be metered and the 3 flats share the cost.

 

[Nicky Tesla]

the question is, is would you get repeat work from that landlord if you told him

 

[ProDave]

Well I've sent my invoice off and informed them of the situation.

I would like to think (hope) I'm far more likely to get repeat work by informing them of the situation and giving him chance to put it right, than I would if I merely informed the DNO of what was going on.

 

[springcrocus]

You've got to tell someone, Dave, or the next spark in might also notice it and you might get the blame as last one in there.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

You have done the correct thing, you had to inform him so theres no passing the buck.

To answer Sparkystu79 there should me a metered supply but i have worked on many items that have not , such as street lighting, cable tv roadside cabinets, i currently have a contract connecting flow meters for Thames water , these are in feeder pillars on the pavements. I have seen illegal connections many times , usually where off peak supplies are present so there are loads of tails running all over the place

I also do maintanence on a private estate of 6 blocks, roadways and a car park. Total of about 120 flats. There are 7 unmetered supplies for the landing lights and street lights which is all above board. A set charge is made based on the known lighting load controlled by dusk to dawn sensors. When i first got the work i negotiated a drastic reduction with EDF as all the lighting was changed from 100w lamps to 16w 2d fittings. I also negotiated a rental charge from EDF, backdated 10 years as there sub station had always been in the carpark & fed the whole area not just the flats

 

[M107]

Scoobed slips................I have just taken on the maintenance of a privately owned block of flats + car park area.........there is an old substatiion in the car park, so you have given me food for thought.

Need to find out if they own the land the substation is on first.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Good luck, i seem to remember in my case we got the rental (not much, but it pays some bills ) as the sub fed other properties.

 

[M107]

I'm sure the sub feeds a little (2 small companies) industrial site nextdoor......worth a punt.

 

[kme]

I used to maintain 13 block of 4 flats, locally - each had a communal lighting supply. Private landlord.

In each block, they`d negotiate with a tenant who had a credit meter, to take the communal supply from them, and pay them about £20 a year for it.

Worked well - except when his quality of tenant dipped, and many got token meters, he had to pay me regularly to go and shift the communal supply to a different KMF :slap

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

My first flat was a Victorian house split in 2, i was upstairs. After a couple of years the girl downstairs realized the 1 light bulb in the hall controlled by a 30 second time lag switch was on her supply. She winged and moaned about getting a 'landlord' supply put in and would not listen to me that putting aside the installation cost the quarterly charge would be more than the lecky used. After she did some homework she got back to me to start the winging again. Just to shut her up i gave her £20 and said that should cover 10 years, she took the money and never mentioned it again.