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wangshan

Help ! Help ! I've been robbed!

wangshan
9 years ago

My electric bill for september of this year was around four times as much as any other month for the past year. I did not use anything that I don't always use. Never needed the A/C on, didn't have to heat the bathroom. I live in the city, and I think someone must have tapped into my line. I called the electric company , which was worthless. All they did was check my meter I think, and say no, the meter reading is right. That was not the issue. Octobers bill was about where it should be. On the graph of monthly usage it stands out like a sore thumb (it don't have the numbers right now) but it is obvious that something is wrong. What can I do?

Comments (10)

  • glennsfc
    9 years ago

    You could try and shut everything off that uses electricity and then see if the meter still records usage. That might indicate someone has illegally tapped into your service; that could be the case if this is a multifamily dwelling. Then get an electrician to check it out.

  • bus_driver
    9 years ago

    You live in a single family detached dwelling? You live in a building with multiple dwellings sharing common walls? Anyone recently added an electric car to their fleet or installed a charging station for such? Do you have an electric water heater?

  • randy427
    9 years ago

    Check your bills for the prior several months. Were they based on actual meter readings or estimated usage? If they were estimated, POCO might have decided to play catch-up with the October bill.

  • pprioroh
    9 years ago

    probably an actual reading vs. estimated

  • wangshan
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I live in a single family home. Just me, my neice and the cats. The meter is right in the window and they always use actual readings. There is just ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I USED THAT MUCH ELECTRICITY. The last time my bill was that high was a few years ago when it was over 90 degrees every day for the month of July.

  • bus_driver
    9 years ago

    With the old meters that use the rotating wheel, it is highly unlikely that the meter will register greater than actual use. It can register less than actual use. The modern digital meters-who knows?
    Does your bill show a meter number as well as the account number. Do all the bills have the same meter number? Have you compared the reading shown on the bill to that shown on the meter by reading the meter yourself? ? Have you checked to see if your meter number is the same shown on the bill?
    And the earlier question about the electric water heater is unanswered. Did you have your water heater repaired or replaced?

  • btharmy
    9 years ago

    Is your well pump stuck on? Sump pump stuck on? Water heater element bad? Old mini barn feed abandoned in the back yard laying in the dirt and energized?

    Get some references from close friends and relatives and hire an electrician. He will have the tools and knowledge to find the problem without costing you a fortune. Expect to pay for his time AND KNOWLEDGE. Just because he fixes it quickly doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be paid for it. Think of what you will save on next month's electric bill by fixing it immediately.

  • wangshan
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm going to check all that. I dont have a well or well pump. The latest bill is back to my usual usage. I have heard that marijuana growers tap into lines . Maybe I'll talk to the local police.

  • btharmy
    9 years ago

    Are you that paranoid? You do know in order to "tap into your lines" they would have to physically connect wiring to your house electrical system and run the wires to their "grow room". Their connection would have to have been after the meter. this means INSIDE your residence. At the very least an outside receptacle that you wouldn't notice. This means you would see the wires running across the yard from their house to yours. Well, are your neighbors growing weed? I hope you know your neighbors well enough to know the answer to this question.

  • bus_driver
    9 years ago

    You post here using panic-type terms and then ignore questions that seek information which may help identify the problem.
    So count me out for any future help for you.