walaj

we had a bill/letter from Energy Australia this week, and on the back of the envelope it stated that, "Electricity theft is costing you $$$$. Report all cases...."

Is it really that common and how to people steal it? Is it outside electric sockets that neighbours plug into or what?

wanderingwombat

The five finger discount trick....

WW

steve`o

shady characters knock on your door with black bin bags full of the stuff

funnily enough you`d swear they had a scouse twang to that aussie accent

sassenach

a lot is set up by shady electricians for crime syndicates who rent houses and turn them into a huge hydro set .

spalen

ebay

wengerboy

yeah as already mentioned hydro`s eat up quite a bit so if you`re breaking the law why not go the whole nine yards(or as far as the nearest power line )

manxfamily

I met a bloke in the pub last night trying to sell a load of the stuff

SonicBird

We've just had a load of Pikey's just knocked on the door wanted to resurface the drive with a Truckload of the Stuff!!!!

It's not just a problem in Oz you know!!

Dorothy

Ok, time for a serious answer. Usually it's done by drug operations who use the stolen electricity to power huge lighting rigs for their crops. What is typically done is that the meter outside the house is bypassed so hydro cannot see how much electricity is actually being used by that particular house. And yes it is a huge problem. The bypassed electricity is not only a cost to everyone, but it is extremely dangerous as it is a fire hazzard. It goes on in places you would never imagine.
I have seen firsthand the destruction of a grow-op in a house. We used to live in a co-op townhouse complex and one of the members turned her basement and spare bedroom into grow-ops. By the time she was finally evicted, her unit was completely destroyed and had to be gutted and rebuilt before anyone else could move in.

furkew

It might not surprise anybody , but here in Holland, home grown using illegally tapped electricity is a big problem.

On the estate I live in there has 1 been raided and another caught fire because of dodgy wiring on the tapped electricity. The estate I live on one of the most exlusive estates in and around the Hague :scared:


In Rotterdam the estimate that there are 6000 weed farms

Dorothy

Exactly. If the growers rent/buy homes in well to do neighbourhoods, who would suspect them? It's not only dangerous due to the fire hazzard, but to the firefighters trying to go in and put it out. Here in Canada, there have been cases where the houses have been booby trapped so anyone going in will be seriously injured. When the firefighters go in to put out the blaze, they are hurt by these traps. It is a very serious problem!

Vash the Stampede

Yes, it's a very common crime Down Under.

People creep into your house late at night, and make off with small portions of your electricity in brown paper bags.

I've never seen it myself, but I've heard there's a lot of it about.

walaj

some of you guys have been shocking, but there are some bright sparks amongst you

thanks for the more serious answers - suppose the drug issue is a worldwide issue, wondered if it was anything more specific to OZ and they are just more forward about asking.

CHnJ

I've never understood how they get the jump leads or whatever onto the cables in the street without getting zapped!

extrameant

Its not that bad. You've just got to remember to keep your tongue out the way when you strip the wire with your teeth.