Calling all sparkies out there!

[somchaismith]

For the last 6 months or more, the electricity bill has consistently been quite high.

It crossed my mind that we could be the victim of a electricity theft. So, I took a look around the electric meter and nothing seems out of place there. However, when I took a look at where the 2 cables leave the power pole and enter our property, I noticed some unusual looking wires. I've attached a pic and drawn around both sets of suspicious looking wires..

If this is electricity theft, could it possibly be affecting our usage? If I can locate a telephone number and report this to EGAT, do you think, in your experience, that they would respond positively, if at all?

Edited August 9, 2014 by somchaismith

[David48]

If that pole is before your meter, then if they are syphoning off, then it wouldn't effect your usage.

(I doubt you would have 3 phase into your place)

What is your usage, what gear do you run and what price per unit / KWH do you pay?

[somchaismith]

If that pole is before your meter, then if they are syphoning off, then it wouldn't effect your usage.

(I doubt you would have 3 phase into your place)

What is your usage, what gear do you run and what price per unit / KWH do you pay?

The meter is at the bottom of the pole, however the both the cable entering and leaving the meter go back up towards the top of the pole.

The bill is 1755 baht for the last period at 395 units used. It's only one of the small printout types and I can't seem to locate the actual unit rate- says something about an FT of 0.6900 (I don't know what that means). We are only home at nights and the weekend. Just use the usual, I guess - iron, fans, lights, hot water shower, TVs, PC, gas is used for cooking and there's no usage of the ACs. The bill is from the MEA, not EGAT, as I initially thought.

How can I tell if we have a 3-phase input as opposed to the regular?

Edited August 9, 2014 by somchaismith

[chiang mai]

Seems a little high for that sort of usage, we tend to be about 1,000 a month, that's for two people home all day, PC, flat screen, fans, hot water etc., can be 1,500 if we run the aircon in the hot season.

[somchaismith]

Seems a little high for that sort of usage, we tend to be about 1,000 a month, that's for two people home all day, PC, flat screen, fans, hot water etc., can be 1,500 if we run the aircon in the hot season.

Exactly, I may have to send an email to the MEA.

[Litlos]

Bit hard to follow the wiring on the photo. So something to try. First go have a look at your meter and should see something spinning/moving.

Switch off your main incomer circuit breaker at your switchboard, then check the meter. If meter is still spinning/moving you have a freeloader between the meter and your switchboard. If this is the case it is something you can report to the supplier and they should understand if told in Thai.

Cheers

[ThaidDown]

If you have a total of 4 wires attached to the meter it is single phase, if 8 wires it is 3 phase.

Do not think any problem with the bill it is printed on the spot by the MEA reader from the actual reading on a hand held unit. Price per unit seems ok. (Ft is a fuel tariff add on and was 0.69/unit last month.

For a single phase meter the left two wires are usually the input from the power lines and the right two normally go off to your house. Nothing extra should be connected to the wires going to your property. Cannot see enough from your photo.

Suggest at night turn off your main breaker in the house and go and check your meter, if it is still turning then there is a 'leakage'. If not still does not prove that electricity is not being purloined as may be only intermittent load.

[somchaismith]

Bit hard to follow the wiring on the photo. So something to try. First go have a look at your meter and should see something spinning/moving.

Switch off your main incomer circuit breaker at your switchboard, then check the meter. If meter is still spinning/moving you have a freeloader between the meter and your switchboard. If this is the case it is something you can report to the supplier and they should understand if told in Thai.

Cheers

Thanks, that sounds logical. Tomorrow, I'll give it a whirl and then post an update.

[somchaismith]

If you have a total of 4 wires attached to the meter it is single phase, if 8 wires it is 3 phase.

Do not think any problem with the bill it is printed on the spot by the MEA reader from the actual reading on a hand held unit. Price per unit seems ok. (Ft is a fuel tariff add on and was 0.69/unit last month.

For a single phase meter the left two wires are usually the input from the power lines and the right two normally go off to your house. Nothing extra should be connected to the wires going to your property. Cannot see enough from your photo.

Suggest at night turn off your main breaker in the house and go and check your meter, if it is still turning then there is a 'leakage'. If not still does not prove that electricity is not being purloined as may be only intermittent load.

Yeah, the unit charge is just a bit over 3 baht, so that's the norm from the government.

I'll check out the wires tomorrow, when I flick off the breaker and check if the wheel is still turning, though from recollection there were only 2 in and 2 out.

Edited August 9, 2014 by somchaismith

[chiang mai]

"give it a whirl", "see if the meter is spinning",

[CharlieH]

There is a dedicated Electrical forum, might get better result there.

MOVED

[somchaismith]

"give it a whirl", "see if the meter is spinning",

The freudian slip is maybe an omen.

[T_Dog]

Here is a more obvious example of theft. Follow your meter's output wires up and if those added lines are connected to that run going to your house, someone is tapping in. Theft like this is quite common. In our case, it was a nice and very poor hill tribe family and they only used it for lights so very minimal. When another neighbor did the same thing to start welding a new roof, we called the power company and they put a quick end to that.

[pgrahmm]

Bit hard to follow the wiring on the photo. So something to try. First go have a look at your meter and should see something spinning/moving.

Switch off your main incomer circuit breaker at your switchboard, then check the meter. If meter is still spinning/moving you have a freeloader between the meter and your switchboard. If this is the case it is something you can report to the supplier and they should understand if told in Thai.

Cheers

If you have a water pump make sure you shut that breaker off too...if the pump is losing prime it can run longer and it will show on your bill but be a hidden source of electrical draw that might be unheard/not noticed.....

[somchaismith]

Here is a more obvious example of theft. Follow your meter's output wires up and if those added lines are connected to that run going to your house, someone is tapping in. Theft like this is quite common. In our case, it was a nice and very poor hill tribe family and they only used it for lights so very minimal. When another neighbor did the same thing to start welding a new roof, we called the power company and they put a quick end to that.

When we first moved in, there was a non-working street light connected in the same manner as the above.

[somchaismith]

Bit hard to follow the wiring on the photo. So something to try. First go have a look at your meter and should see something spinning/moving.

Switch off your main incomer circuit breaker at your switchboard, then check the meter. If meter is still spinning/moving you have a freeloader between the meter and your switchboard. If this is the case it is something you can report to the supplier and they should understand if told in Thai.

Cheers

If you have a water pump make sure you shut that breaker off too...if the pump is losing prime it can run longer and it will show on your bill but be a hidden source of electrical draw that might be unheard/not noticed.....

Okay, but we don't have a water pump. However, the 2 air cons and the hot water heater have large black switches.

Could they be on different breakers?

[pgrahmm]

Bit hard to follow the wiring on the photo. So something to try. First go have a look at your meter and should see something spinning/moving.

Switch off your main incomer circuit breaker at your switchboard, then check the meter. If meter is still spinning/moving you have a freeloader between the meter and your switchboard. If this is the case it is something you can report to the supplier and they should understand if told in Thai.

Cheers

If you have a water pump make sure you shut that breaker off too...if the pump is losing prime it can run longer and it will show on your bill but be a hidden source of electrical draw that might be unheard/not noticed.....

Okay, but we don't have a water pump. However, the 2 air cons and the hot water heater have large black switches.

Could they be on different breakers?

Normally they'd be covered by the main circuit breaker.. don't leave the main off for extended time - need for fridge....

[RichCor]

Speaking of (typing of) the fridge... if you have a compressor issue with a fridge or an aircon unit, that would spike your bill.

Okay, but we don't have a water pump. However, the 2 air cons and the hot water heater have large black switches.

Could they be on different breakers?

I've seen sparkies tie water heater electrical into the top of a knife switch, so that it was tied directly to the mains, just because there was no more room on the switched side to add a wire.

So, yes, anything could be on a different breaker, or no breaker.

Hopefully your service wire isn't tapped between the pole/meter and your service box.

Edited August 9, 2014 by RichCor

[NanLaew]

Bit hard to follow the wiring on the photo. So something to try. First go have a look at your meter and should see something spinning/moving.

Switch off your main incomer circuit breaker at your switchboard, then check the meter. If meter is still spinning/moving you have a freeloader between the meter and your switchboard. If this is the case it is something you can report to the supplier and they should understand if told in Thai.

Cheers

If you have a water pump make sure you shut that breaker off too...if the pump is losing prime it can run longer and it will show on your bill but be a hidden source of electrical draw that might be unheard/not noticed.....

Okay, but we don't have a water pump. However, the 2 air cons and the hot water heater have large black switches.

Could they be on different breakers?

I would turn of each aircon main breaker as well as the house main breaker when doing your 'bleed' test.

I had an extra room added as an extension to a home build and wanted an air conditioner in it. The installer, finding that there was either no more capacity in the breaker panel or too lazy to punch a hole for a power wire run to the existing house wiring, ran a direct feed from the live side of the power to the house, between the meter and the breaker box. I only noticed this after several years when doing a major home lighting upgrade and upon killing the main breaker, the ac in the spare room kept on running. When it comes to domestic electricals in Thailand, assume NOTHING!

[wayned]

If that pole is before your meter, then if they are syphoning off, then it wouldn't effect your usage.

(I doubt you would have 3 phase into your place)

What is your usage, what gear do you run and what price per unit / KWH do you pay?

The meter is at the bottom of the pole, however the both the cable entering and leaving the meter go back up towards the top of the pole.

The bill is 1755 baht for the last period at 395 units used. It's only one of the small printout types and I can't seem to locate the actual unit rate- says something about an FT of 0.6900 (I don't know what that means). We are only home at nights and the weekend. Just use the usual, I guess - iron, fans, lights, hot water shower, TVs, PC, gas is used for cooking and there's no usage of the ACs. The bill is from the MEA, not EGAT, as I initially thought.

How can I tell if we have a 3-phase input as opposed to the regular?

The FT is fuel surcharge and went up to .69 baht/KWH a couple of months ago. I'm on PEA and the bill looks correct for 395KWHs of use, the total cost of the power being basic cost, FT and VAT @7%. Your cost is 4.45 baht/KWH (1755/395 = 4.45). My extended cost last month was 4.66 baht/ KWH, I used 695 KWH. The bill looks right. Anything new in the house, maybe a new flay screen plasma TV?

Looking at the picture, you don't have three phase, not enough wires!

[CWMcMurray]

Bit hard to follow the wiring on the photo. So something to try. First go have a look at your meter and should see something spinning/moving.

Switch off your main incomer circuit breaker at your switchboard, then check the meter. If meter is still spinning/moving you have a freeloader between the meter and your switchboard. If this is the case it is something you can report to the supplier and they should understand if told in Thai.

Cheers

If you have a water pump make sure you shut that breaker off too...if the pump is losing prime it can run longer and it will show on your bill but be a hidden source of electrical draw that might be unheard/not noticed.....

In one of the places rented.. This is what happened to us... Water pump running all the time...

Caused electric bill to be very high ... Until water pump was replaced

[Artisi]

Bit hard to follow the wiring on the photo. So something to try. First go have a look at your meter and should see something spinning/moving.

Switch off your main incomer circuit breaker at your switchboard, then check the meter. If meter is still spinning/moving you have a freeloader between the meter and your switchboard. If this is the case it is something you can report to the supplier and they should understand if told in Thai.

Cheers

If you have a water pump make sure you shut that breaker off too...if the pump is losing prime it can run longer and it will show on your bill but be a hidden source of electrical draw that might be unheard/not noticed.....

Okay, but we don't have a water pump. However, the 2 air cons and the hot water heater have large black switches.

Could they be on different breakers?

I would turn of each aircon main breaker as well as the house main breaker when doing your 'bleed' test.

I had an extra room added as an extension to a home build and wanted an air conditioner in it. The installer, finding that there was either no more capacity in the breaker panel or too lazy to punch a hole for a power wire run to the existing house wiring, ran a direct feed from the live side of the power to the house, between the meter and the breaker box. I only noticed this after several years when doing a major home lighting upgrade and upon killing the main breaker, the ac in the spare room kept on running. When it comes to domestic electricals in Thailand, assume NOTHING!

assume NOTHING is correctly wired.