Next door took my electricity whole connect. What are my options?

Question

Hello all,

So in my pleasant surprise I had been in the works with BGE to turn on the electric in the new project. They still have yet to come and turn on the electric since they needed me there to do it.

Anyways I went online and saw the address had indeed switched to my name and it said the electric was on (what the heck? How is it on?)

Then I notice a bill of $151 dated from the time of my purchase date to Oct 22. This must be a mistake since one the electricity is off and two there is absolutely nothing in the place and it's been sitting for a month.

So I jump in my truck to go to the place to investigate since initial reaction was someone was stealing my electricity. But I didn't see how that was possible since there was no electricity in the place to begin with.

Low and behold I get there try flipping a light and nothing. So I go outside to find a meter and couldn't find it. But what I did find is the feed wires from next door connected to mine

Sorry for them being sideways. Doing this of my phone.

So having never been in this position before what are my options and what can I expect from BGE (they are closed today)

Thank you!

Ned Carey · Answer

@Tariq Bahay Oh I am sorry I didn't know that was your house. I will unhook it tomorrow.

Russell Brazil · Answer

@Tariq Bahay Ive got to laugh a little and ask, is the property in Baltimore? That seems like a very Baltimorish problem to happen.

Robert Carl · Answer

Call BGE let them press charges. They will take care of it for free.

Matthew Paul · Answer

That looks like its before the meter , it shouldnt affect the bill .

Tariq B. · Answer

@Russell Brazil lol ya of course my man, only in Baltimore!

@Marc M. wow that is crazy. How did that work out for him.

@Ned Carey Had a feeling you were behind this debacle

As to eveyone else who chimed in thank you for your thoughts and ideas. It has been taken care off. I suppose this situation was one of thoes assume the worst hope for the best situations. BGE came out and took care of it. Next door was not stealing the electric. But the meter at some point had been tampered with since there was a lack of a meter in the house. (somone wanted a nice mantle piece I suppose) I still need to call BGE to sort out the 700 and something KWh I some how used without a meter. Even the service guy couldn't answer that one as to how they got that number. He guessed it was an estimate of the prior owners usage. I'll find out shortly I suppose when I call.

Pat L. · Answer

We just took back a place DILO & it had electric on. Then a guy who worked on it with the previous owner offers to live there to finish some work & keep an eye on it paying only $650/month.

So several months go by & the 'renter/handyman' leaves & I sell it to an investor who calls NYSEG to get the electric switched to his name. They tell him the place hasn't had the electric on for 7 months???

If there's a way they find it.

Jeff B. · Answer

Friend got it with this at a vacation home.

Forget the billing and fix the problem:

First take better pictures of the meter and the connection for evidence.

Get an electrical contractor to come out, disconnect the illegal connection and install a security box with a lock so there's no access to the power connects.

Write a letter, send it Certified to the neighbor with copies of the tampering that this is criminal fraud and theft and if it occurs again, they will be prosecuted - - clearly note a copy has been sent to the Utility Company.

You might research the owner of the property and send a copy to them also (in case it might be rented).

You didn't start this but need to control it.

Account Closed · Answer

As both @matthew paul and @wayne brooks mentioned, it appears that your service line from BGE, and your neighbor's share, a common line. Your usage is measured through your meter which occurs after the split. The connection shown in the photos is perfectly normal... if they're stealing electricity, then it's likely to be inside, at your panel box. Did they punch through the wall and tap into your box? If that's the case, then BGE may not give a hoot.

The newer looking gray wire should go to your meter, the old wire that is dangling should go to their meter. The line exiting the meter goes to a panel box where electricity is distributed. It's pretty simple to tap into a panel box and add circuits or a sub-panel. Simple does not equate to safe though.

BGE owns the meter and the line that comes from the pole to the house. You own the lines on either side of the meter.

If you have trouble getting BGE to respond, call them and tell them that there is a hazardous situation and they'll likely have someone out there within hours. Of course, there really should be a hazardous condition and for my money, it appears that one could reach the service entrance lines from the window nearby. That makes it dangerous in my eyes.

Rule of thumb is if the lines are accessible without a ladder, then it's a dangerous condition.

Jerry W. · Answer

This does not appear to be a theft of services case, but I think most states have adopted specific criminal statutes to deal with this.

Matthew Paul · Answer

They steal electric in Baltimore quite a bit . I know a couple of linemen . They say they are pretty creative , and crude ways they do it . Some as simple as jumper cables . Others where they steal the electric from 5 or 6 houses away , run the wires on the roofs and pour tar on the wires to hide them . Problem is they get shot at when they try to disconnect some .

Next door took my electricity whole connect. What are my options?

Next door took my electricity whole connect. What are my options?

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