Electric bill- something is not right.

Scouse123 · February 23

Guys,

We have three houses in a compound, all with individual electric meters.

The main house, which is ours, obviously has a lot higher bill than the one we rent out, and one where mother stays.

Now, my last bill which arrived on January 24th was 2600 baht. We have air in the bedroom, but it is seldom used, because of my condition, and certainly wasn't in the cold snap we have had in Kalasin. The rest of the house is fan cooled only.

We were not here, as we travelled to the UK from January 20th until February 6th. The house was locked up. I paid the above bill of 2600 baht immediately on my return.

Obviously, I was expecting a low bill this month, similar to above, as it actually only covers the period when the house was occupied again, February 6th until February 22nd, (16 days) when the meter was read yesterday.

The bill has arrived at 4500 baht plus, basically covering 16 days. I went to the PEA and the guy they sent out said his job was only to read the meter. I pointed out all of the above. He just shrugged as in' not my department' style.

My other half actually stated the meter was still going around when we cut the power to the house, (I returned to the house from outside at the back end of the conversation and didn't see this).

This means either a defective meter, surely, or somebody is tapping in to our meter?

There must be something amiss here.

JBChiangRai · February 23

The first thing you should do is fit meters on each house, it's not expensive and it will alert you if they start bitcoin mining or something like that, also you can then re-debit them for electricity usage.

Check to see if the meter really is still turning if everything off, it could be a leaking underground cable.

steven100 · February 23

you best investigate Sir ...... go and talk with PEA at their office and explain.

check there's no holes dug or strange connections nearby ....

use your intuition ...

steven100 · February 23

If the meter is turning after you switch the mains off to the house then something or someone is using your power.

fredwiggy · February 23

I was away for the month of November and I received a bill for 500 baht. The only thing left on was the refrigerator. Didn't seem right as a neighbor usually has bills of less than 300 baht, and he uses fans and a refrigerator. I have gotten bills which didn't seem right both here and back in Texas. I feel they are overcharging a lot thinking most won't check. They usually use the excuse that it cost more for the power they received.

Edited February 23 by fredwiggy

Crossy · February 23

Check your actual meter reading against the bill you received, mistakes do happen.

As others have noted, turn everything off at the main breakers and check the meter is not moving. If it is start looking for "leaks".

Scouse123 · February 23

6 minutes ago, steven100 said:

you best investigate Sir ...... go and talk with PEA at their office and explain.

check there's no holes dug or strange connections nearby ....

use your intuition ...

Hi,

I've been to the PEA, and they just sent a meter reader out.

Now awaiting the other' team' as he referred to them to come and see what's going on.

What has happened recently, is a load of illegal and makeshift allotments and dwellings are springing up on the other side of the road.

The road width is about 5 metres, and that's where the meters are, the other side of the road.

10 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

The first thing you should do is fit meters on each house, it's not expensive and it will alert you if they start bitcoin mining or something like that, also you can then re-debit them for electricity usage.

Check to see if the meter really is still turning if everything off, it could be a leaking underground cable.

I like this idea, I'll pursue it.

Scouse123 · February 23

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

Check your actual meter reading against the bill you received, mistakes do happen.

As others have noted, turn everything off at the main breakers and check the meter is not moving. If it is start looking for "leaks".

Crossy,

I am sat here waiting for this team that does that to arrive. They said they would come yesterday afternoon.

The meter reader has taken the bill back to PEA and told me not to pay until it's resolved.

Scouse123 · February 23

9 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I was away for the month of November and I received a bill for 500 baht. The only thing left on was the refrigerator. Didn't seem right as a neighbor usually has bills of less than 300 baht, and he uses fans and a refrigerator. I have gotten bills which didn't seem right both here and back in Texas. I feel they are overcharging a lot thinking most won't check. They usually use the excuse that it cost more for the power they received.

They picked a bad time if they are trying it on, because it's for a period when the house was empty and locked up.

n00dle · February 23

15 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

The first thing you should do is fit meters on each house, it's not expensive and it will alert you if they start bitcoin mining or something like that, also you can then re-debit them for electricity usage.

Check to see if the meter really is still turning if everything off, it could be a leaking underground cable.

The first sentence of the OP:

Quote

We have three houses in a compound, all with individual electric meters.

Scouse123 · February 23

2 minutes ago, n00dle said:

The first sentence of the OP:

They all have individual meters, but they are all on the lamp post in the street, not on the houses themselves, which I think (hope) that is what he was meaning.

JBChiangRai · February 23

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

They all have individual meters, but they are all on the lamp post in the street, not on the houses themselves, which I think (hope) that is what he was meaning.

I didn't read the OP properly, It wasn't what I meant but it's still a good idea because you will spot any major difference with the PEA reading.

I did this here at my house.

SAFETY FIRST · February 23

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

There must be something amiss here

I reckon you had some visitors when you was away.

Any furniture out of place or food or drinks consumed?

Maybe an inside job, other family members or friends that knew you'd be away.

Not really possible to tap these electric meters, Its easy to see if the meter is being tapped.

Edited February 23 by SAFETY FIRST

Digitalbanana · February 23

40 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

it will alert you if they start bitcoin mining

Yeah a common problem here, the MIL bitcoin mining in the outhouse.

NoDisplayName · February 23

32 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

What has happened recently, is a load of illegal and makeshift allotments and dwellings are springing up on the other side of the road.

The road width is about 5 metres, and that's where the meters are, the other side of the road.

Bingo! PEA won't hook up power to illegal dwellings, and builders don't get the lower residential rates.

How much would it cost to get a pole with meters planted on your side of the road where you can control access?

JBChiangRai · February 23

25 minutes ago, Digitalbanana said:

Yeah a common problem here, the MIL bitcoin mining in the outhouse.

It’s very common with rented properties where utilities are included.

n00dle · February 23

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

They all have individual meters, but they are all on the lamp post in the street, not on the houses themselves, which I think (hope) that is what he was meaning.

dont think so

Scouse123 · February 23

OK Gents,

PEA guy has just been out and said there is a 5 amp supply to our house and even when the breaker is turned off and cuts all the power in our house, it's still drawing 2 Amps.

He suspects that it is the electric wires from their lamp post to our house where there is a leak, and as such it is on our land or our supply and so it's down to us to get a local electrician (who I have already phoned, and he says 3 days to come) to come and find it and replace as is necessary.

Also, the ridiculous recent electricity bill will have to be paid, for the above reasons.

Hope that makes sense, I am still scratching my head, but it is what it is.

Scouse123 · February 23

13 minutes ago, n00dle said:

dont think so

The PEA guy says he can't see anyone else hooked up to our meter, and doubts it.

He didn't do a full check, just a cursory look over.

steven100 · February 24

19 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

OK Gents,

PEA guy has just been out and said there is a 5 amp supply to our house and even when the breaker is turned off and cuts all the power in our house, it's still drawing 2 Amps.

He suspects that it is the electric wires from their lamp post to our house where there is a leak, and as such it is on our land or our supply and so it's down to us to get a local electrician (who I have already phoned, and he says 3 days to come) to come and find it and replace as is necessary.

Also, the ridiculous recent electricity bill will have to be paid, for the above reasons.

Hope that makes sense, I am still scratching my head, but it is what it is.

oh well ' at least you have a defined reason. Not what one would expect though, and strange that it's at your cost to fix. but TIT ...

Scouse123 · February 24

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

oh well ' at least you have a defined reason. Not what one would expect though, and strange that it's at your cost to fix. but TIT ...

I did query it.

The PEA guy took some testers that went around the cable leading from the meter and showed is that it was still drawing current with the breaker to the house off.

He said he couldn't assist further as he wasn't allowed to as it was on our property, as I was pushing to know where the' leak' was. He did, however, speak on the phone to our electrician, who I have begged to come today, explaining the situation.

I believe this' leak' is coming from the power wire that links our house to PEA box.

I hopefully, will update AN today.

If I hadn't been away for half of the month, I would have just put the expensive electric bill down to price increases or an anomaly and paid it.

It looks like I'll still have to pay it if the fault is the cable that connects our house to the main supply.

Grusa · February 24

22 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I reckon you had some visitors when you was away.

Any furniture out of place or food or drinks consumed?

Maybe an inside job, other family members or friends that knew you'd be away.

Not really possible to tap these electric meters, Its easy to see if the meter is being tapped.

Tapping the meter may be difficult, if it is not to be seen. Tapping the load side wire is probably easy, and given the usual birds-nest cabling, hard to spot.

Crossy · February 24

2A is more than a "leak".

Is the cable to the house underground or on poles?

If it's on poles examine carefully, particularly at the top of the meter pole, that's where any hooky connection is going to be, use binoculars if you have them.

It's worth talking to your PEA guy, many of them are happy to do a bit of moonlighting.

Scott Tracy · February 24

We also experienced an unexpectedly high bill this month. We left Thailand 15th Jan and on 20th this month the bill was 1700 plus Baht. Only the fridge and freezer running, neighbours watering the garden every 2 or 3 days...

Previously when away from the house, the bill has been 1/10 of this, hovering around 170 - 200 Baht.

Jaggg88 · February 24

Looking forward to the resolution to this one.

Scouse123 · February 24

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

2A is more than a "leak".

Is the cable to the house underground or on poles?

If it's on poles examine carefully, particularly at the top of the meter pole, that's where any hooky connection is going to be, use binoculars if you have them.

It's worth talking to your PEA guy, many of them are happy to do a bit of moonlighting.

Crossy,

You are spot on!

Previously, the power went from a PEA meter pole, to my pole in the garden where it went underground. We have now put new cable and connected above ground and disconnected the underground connection.

My electrician re wired the house to above ground and cut the supply to below ground where it was previously and STILL the meter was spinning around.

He was annoyed that he had re wired and re routed, and for his own peace of mind wanted to get to the bottom of it.

He then went out to the pole located across the street opposite our house, and right at the top of the meter pole, he has found the short/ bad connection.

The connection he has repaired then cut the power to my house, and the meter stopped dead.

However, and I know you get this, it's on the wire side of the power output from the meter as opposed to the input side, at the top of the pole like you said, so he is saying PEA will deny and say it is our responsibility.

I was ready to challenge them on Monday, but is it worth it, or will I be wasting my time?

So, us rewiring the cable above ground and cutting the underground, and re-routing to the house is an expense for nothing when it was on the pole all the time.

Edited February 24 by Scouse123

Crossy · February 24

5 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

I was ready to challenge them on Monday, but is it worth it, or will I be wasting my time?

If it was on the house side of the meter it's your problem despite being on the PEA pole.

I'd just be happy it's sorted.

Scouse123 · February 24

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

If it was on the house side of the meter it's your problem despite being on the PEA pole.

I'd just be happy it's sorted.

Cheers,

Good to know your thoughts were right, though.

I'll leave it then at that. I just said to him that I hoped he'd fixed it so it wouldn't re-occur, he says it won't.

Crossy · February 24

It's at times like that that good diagnostic technique is important.

He measured at the meter and found 2A going "somewhere".

If he had then measured at the point the overhead went underground, he would have seen no current.

At this point he would know that the "leak" was between the meter and the underground section.

It's called the "half-split method" and is one of the earliest fault-finding techniques taught.

cowellandrew · February 24

On 2/23/2024 at 5:19 AM, Scouse123 said:

OK Gents,

PEA guy has just been out and said there is a 5 amp supply to our house and even when the breaker is turned off and cuts all the power in our house, it's still drawing 2 Amps.

He suspects that it is the electric wires from their lamp post to our house where there is a leak, and as such it is on our land or our supply and so it's down to us to get a local electrician (who I have already phoned, and he says 3 days to come) to come and find it and replace as is necessary.

Also, the ridiculous recent electricity bill will have to be paid, for the above reasons.

Hope that makes sense, I am still scratching my head, but it is what it is.

Scratching head wont help!

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