Unusually high electric bills - anyone else?

[MartynE]

We are a bit puzzled by a recent electric bill and wonder if anyone else has cause for concern over their bills?

The communal electricity bill for the apartment block came in at over 400TL for the last three months, which was very strange because the apartment block has been empty all that time! All the individual apartment bills were zero, as expected. The communal bill covers the supply for the external lights, hot water heater, pool lights, pool pump etc and of course none of these were switched on because there was no-one there and the pool was emptied in November (we have checked, and all the switches were indeed off)!

Last year we were living in one of the apartments for part of the same period and the communal electric bill then was around 200TL - obviously we were using the immersion heater then, because you can't rely on the solar panels to heat water in the winter, and the outside lights were on during the evening, so that bill was understandable.

So how can our bill this year be DOUBLE, when we haven't used any electricity?

We have been into Akdeniz with a Turkish friend to question it; they sent a guy round to check the meter, but he said it was fine and they insist the bill is genuine! Unfortunately, we pay by direct debit so the money has already been paid.

We are baffled. Any ideas or clues, anyone?

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=12593.0

[Chris S]

Hi Martin,
Are illicit persons (builders perhaps) secretly tapping into your supply?  It has been known in Kalkan[/size][size=78%].[/size]

[headroom]

Hi Martin,
Are illicit persons (builders perhaps) secretly tapping into your supply?  It has been known in Kalkan[/size][size=78%].[/size]

  Chris could have a point here Martyn, the first time we stayed at our place nearly 10 years ago, we hadn't actually got the tapu and there were still a few finishing off jobs to do by the builder we asked where the electricity was coming from (it hadn't had any the day before, we had to stay at the Pirat for the first couple of nights) the estate agent said "you don't want to know". It was presumably coming from a neighbouring property!

  Mind you how you'd find out and what you could do about it anyway is a completely different problem!

[Kalkan regular]

If there has been nothing using the electricity for the complex then it has to be an outside source. Can you check the meter daily for a week to see if there is any usage in each 24 hr period. If there is no usage it gives an even greater indication that it was used by someone.

[kevincat99]

Martyn E -We had a problem towards the end of last year when the electric bill for the house increased from about 220 TL a month to 600 TL a month
 
We kept a daily record of consumption and it was some 80 units a day rather than the normal 8

Akdeniz checked and then replaced the meter and said the old one had been fine but they installed a new model anyway

We the hired an electrician who checked every fuse / item in the house and he eventually found an old unused cable which was earthing into the ground [ which also explained why we had occasionally been receiving electric shocks from some of the ironwork]

Once this cable was terminated - problem solved

Maybe something to think about but the first thing is to monitor daily usages

[MartynE]

Thanks everyone. This did occur to me. Will investigate....

[brian j p]

related to electricity and meters:  We purchased our villa 4  years ago  and at end of last season an  electrician ( might have even worked for the electricity  company) stated we should change the meter as it might have been tampered with. I do not speak Turkish ( to my shame) ,  but I got the impression via his English   he was saying  someone may have tampered with the meter  in the past to keep bills low at certain times .   This used to happen in UK a lot when spinning wheel type meters  were around and maybe even in turkey if they had those type on meters in the past.  however our meter  is digital  so surely could not have been tampered with , Has any one ever heard of a digital meter being tampered with .
 
Our average bills are between 40 - 75 tl per week when in use and  10 - 20  when empty .  we have  a small 2 bed villa and rarely use the air con , apart from lights, and fridge/water cooler   I suspect the pool filter and water  pump  are the biggest user of power in the villa  as pool water is  filtered throughout season. not sure if these bills seem about right  Our house in UK cost approx. £20 per week for electricity  so maybe the meter is fine and I am over worrying .  Maybe to put my mind at rest I should ask electricity company to check out the meter

[MartynE]

Update: I have spoken to an electrician who knows the site and a full investigation will be underway on Monday...he thinks it is entirely possible that there could be an illicit feed to a neighbour and the main area for concern is the pool roomwhere there are lots of spurious "unused" cables and junction boxes. Basically, after a process of elimination, any mysterious unidentified cables will be unceremoniously cut! Let's hope this solves the problem

[DRBD]

That sounds promising & totally feasible, not an uncommon situation, we are aware of similar very close to us, not only electrics but water also, all too complicated to explain.

[Kalkan regular]

You should get him to do it at night to see if anyone's lights go out. Think it's a good move.

It seems sometimes that there is a very neighbourly and communal attitude to electricity & water use (not to paying however).

Looking forward to the update.

[pw]

Remember Kenneth Noye (of Brinks Mat & road rage murder notoriety)? He was also an electricity thief. The dodgy connection caused a fire that burnt his house down.

He isn't living in Kalkan now is he?

pw