Off-peak circuit not working - what next?
- Thread starter JodieS
- Start date
Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:
Fleeting
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2021
- Messages
- 1,545
- Reaction score
- 456
It is in some instances but between floors in a block of flats?
Link out the ends much quicker.
as per Fleeting join all 3 cores at one end of the cable then test between cores at the other end, trailing leads are OK , but pose a potential trip hazard on stairs - the public can be very stupid!
The tests required are very simple dead tests to check R1 + R2 then Rn + R2 - AND your spark should have done these...............
its not tricky for somebody competent
its not tricky for somebody competent
JodieS
Active member
He says he "put the link between line and cpc" and there was no continuity. He did disconnect the supply and say something about shorting out one end - he connected two clips to the isolator switch - this was the point where he lost me
but yes, I think he tested it.A new theory has emerged... the tenants in the flat next to mine moved out a couple of weeks ago and they've just told me they switched everything off in their CUs when they left. This was around the time I first noticed my heating hadn't come on. They always complained about high electricity bills, so now we're wondering if somehow my off-peak supply is routed through theirs. Unlikely but possible! Their landlord is going to switch everything back on at some point in the next couple of days and we'll test the theory...
JodieS
Active member
We tested it early this morning during off-peak hours and there was a live current going into the isolator switch. The meter was showing "rate 2" as the active rate, and it has clocked up a few kwh on rate 2 since it was installed (from other appliances running overnight on the main circuit such as the fridge).
He says he "put the link between line and cpc" and there was no continuity. He did disconnect the supply and say something about shorting out one end - he connected two clips to the isolator switch - this was the point where he lost me
A new theory has emerged... the tenants in the flat next to mine moved out a couple of weeks ago and they've just told me they switched everything off in their CUs when they left. This was around the time I first noticed my heating hadn't come on. They always complained about high electricity bills, so now we're wondering if somehow my off-peak supply is routed through theirs. Unlikely but possible! Their landlord is going to switch everything back on at some point in the next couple of days and we'll test the theory...
Interesting new theory
Are your readings increasing as you expect?
JodieS
Active member
Good question. I've looked back through historic meter readings and I seem to average around 21kwh/month on the off-peak rate in summer, 29kwh in winter. Have never given it much thought before, but having done a quick google search that seems very low for running two storage heaters (one medium, one small) in winter.
Over the past 9 nights since the new meter was fitted I have used 9kwh, which will work out to around 30 for the month, average for this time of year. But in theory it should be lower if the heaters and hot water are off.
I now have a horrible feeling my neighbours have been paying for my heating for years!!!
Do you have access to the plant room / meter room?
If so turn off the isolators for your flat and see what happens
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2009
- Messages
- 14,673
- Reaction score
- 828
I think you might be onto something. 29kWh per MONTH in winter is exceedingly low. It would not surprise me to hear real usage is that much per night in the middle of winter. Even one 3kW storage heater could use 21 kWh per night on full charge.
so what now? Get the building management company involved and open a can of worms, potential huge backdated bills? Or wait for someone new to move into the empty flat and say nothing?
It would be very awkward if the new tenant was more perceptive than the previous one and it subsequently came to light that you knew of the issue.
Personally I would have to get to the bottom of it now.
I would think that backdated bills would be unlikely, as the loser is the previous tenant, not the power company, and the tenant would find it very difficult to quantify his loss even if he learned of it.
Personally I would have to get to the bottom of it now.
I would think that backdated bills would be unlikely, as the loser is the previous tenant, not the power company, and the tenant would find it very difficult to quantify his loss even if he learned of it.
JodieS
Active member
Agreed, it needs sorting. Not least because they could turn off my heating and hot water whenever they like! And the landlord may wonder how they can be racking up charges when the property is empty between tenants.
The landlord has switched everything back on today, so we should know by the morning whether this is the cause. If it is, either the wiring was installed incorrectly in the first place, or one of the previous owners of my flat has done something very dodgy indeed.
If that turns out to be the case, I am friendly with my ex-neighbours and will find a way of eventually paying them back for all the free heating and hot water over the years! What a nightmare.
The landlord has switched everything back on today, so we should know by the morning whether this is the cause. If it is, either the wiring was installed incorrectly in the first place, or one of the previous owners of my flat has done something very dodgy indeed.
If that turns out to be the case, I am friendly with my ex-neighbours and will find a way of eventually paying them back for all the free heating and hot water over the years! What a nightmare.
Do update us please
JodieS
Active member
Hello all
No update yet as although the neighbour has turned everything back on, the previous tenants were on a pre-payment meter which needs topping up. So the landlords need to set up an account to do that first.
Meanwhile the building managers are sending me keys to various locked service cupboards in the building so we can see if anything is happening to the wiring in there.
Hopefully by early next week we'll know what is going on!
No update yet as although the neighbour has turned everything back on, the previous tenants were on a pre-payment meter which needs topping up. So the landlords need to set up an account to do that first.
Meanwhile the building managers are sending me keys to various locked service cupboards in the building so we can see if anything is happening to the wiring in there.
Hopefully by early next week we'll know what is going on!
JodieS
Active member
Well, the heating and hot water came on last night after the meter was topped up so it's confirmed - the neighbours have been paying my bills 
Now we just need to figure out how it's happened!
Has anyone ever come across something like this before?
Now we just need to figure out how it's happened!
Has anyone ever come across something like this before?
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2009
- Messages
- 14,673
- Reaction score
- 828
I could understand it being swapped between 2 flats, but in that case you would get metered for someone elses usage, which might be broadly similar. In this case it looks like one meter is feeding 2 flats which is harder to imagine how.
JodieS
Active member
Just had another chat with the neighbour and she said they never used their storage heaters, just the hot water, so this seems more likely now.
Jodie - could you post a photo or 2 of the meters and switch fuses?
Similar threads
- Locked
