DANGER! Hot wiring – what we all should know?

Hello, Two weeks ago I was unaware of what Hot Wiring was. Basically, it is electricity theft done by connecting wire either side of a meter and hence no current is charged for as it doesn’t pass through the meter. It can be LETHAL.

I had a call from the resident of a block in which my husband and I own a flat. She was distraught. An engineer from OVO had just knocked on her door showing her a burnt out electric meter that had belonged to her neighbour and told her she and the rest of the block were lucky to be alive.

I did some research. Any tenant can just “get a new meter”. There is currently no obligation to advise either landlord or Block Management. In this case, the energy company flatly refused to check the gas meter for tampering as I wasn’t the account holder.

THIS IS CLEARLY WRONG. The criminals get the usual slap on the wrist and are free to change suppliers and do it again, with the rest of the block blissfully unaware of the danger they are in.

I have contacted OFGEM, the ENERGY OMBUDSMAN, UKRPA and the Fire Brigade. All agree things need to change but it is not something they can do.

No, it is not a GDPR issue, I have spoken with a GDPR practitioner who states clearly “Safety comes first”.

I have had more success in lobbying my MP.

I would like to urge other landlords to do the same. If we don’t want to risk waking up to dead tenants, the law has to change so that EVERY UTILITY COMPANY HAS A LEGAL OBLIGATION to report Hot Wiring to the landlord of any tenanted property and the Managing Agent where this is happening in blocks of Flats. (Whether rented or otherwise).

We all have voices. We can make this happen.

I am a landlord in Weston Super Mare. In my block, one owner is now so concerned about it happening again he starts every day by getting out his step ladder to check his neighbours’ meter for tampering. Yes, the offending tenant has been asked to leave.

Please use your voice. Do your own research. Contact your MP. It is the law that needs to change.

Thank you,

Hilda