Topic: Breaking the law legally. (Read 14079 times)

OMK · « **on:** July 07, 2009, 10:24:02 am »

Breaking the legally? Isn't that a contradiction in terms?
Who cares. You only need to know that you didn't hear this from me, and you can't get 'em from Tesco's.

http://www.boondee.net/electric-power-saver/b4-88.html

furball · « **Reply #1 on:** July 07, 2009, 10:29:47 am »

Snake oil???

Lance

Tug-Kenny RIP · « **Reply #2 on:** July 07, 2009, 10:35:00 am »

I would sugest that this device will not do what it says.

Once the electricity has passed the meter the correct way around, the only way to reverse it would be to feed power back to the Electricy company.

They would then pay you for being a Power station.

ken

barryfoote · « **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2009, 10:45:19 am »

PMK,

Sorry to upset you amigo.....These devices, if they do work, are totally illegal in the UK. Anything that causes the meter to go backwards is illegal. It is a criminal offence to use them and I will get my brother to get his police dog to bite you on the backside.......before nicking you of course!!

malcolmfrary · « **Reply #4 on:** July 07, 2009, 10:58:27 am »

Snake oil bait to collect the email addresses of the terminally gullible for the purpose of flogging yet more "bargains".

OMK · « **Reply #5 on:** July 07, 2009, 11:01:22 am »

Don't worry, Baz, I shan't be getting into them sort of dodgy devices. It's much easier just to stuff a wire coat hanger across the input/outputs, or the old magnet dodge, or hanging the meter upside down, or......
Besides, I'm already familiar with sharp teeth ripping my tender bits. Once is more than enough for me, thanks.

Ken, you are very probably right. Any monkey can stuff a few components on a circuit board, wrap it up in a swanky enclosure with a fancy decal and make a tidy little earner from the sad saps who are gullible enough to fall for it.

dougal99 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 07, 2009, 11:03:50 am »

My girlfriend, back in the sixties (memories), used to hang a magnet on her meter. Swore it reduced her bill by slowing down the rotation. Ah the sweet innocence of youth.

sheerline · « **Reply #7 on:** July 07, 2009, 11:16:09 am »

PMK, the meter shown in the pics has an aluminium wheel which rotates and drives the mechanism round. If I am correct in my analysis, this deice is a simle linear motor and depending on the current you draw by usage within the home, the magnetic field induced into the wheel is intensified or diminished so it therefore speeds up or slows down accordingly. The only way you coud ever get it to run backwards would be to change the polarity of the induced magnetic field and fitting the 'box thingy' to accomplish this would be impossible as far as I can see.
The only other device I know which would definately do this is an 'aquipever shunt' with a 'snifting valve' modification. If sited below the meter, but in line of sight of it, it will definately do the job! As a lot of meters are mounted low down in cupboards under the stairs, it will be neccessary to purchase a set of skirting board ladders and a box of glass nails to enable you to easily fit it.

OMK · « **Reply #8 on:** July 07, 2009, 11:18:07 am »

Doug, was her name Rita, by any chance?

Oddly enough, Postie just delivered a letter from my electricity company (EDF). Pleasantly surprised to learn that I'd been overcharged and that they have just stuffed over £250.00 back into my account.
And no -- not one magnet in sight.

sheerline · « **Reply #9 on:** July 07, 2009, 11:20:19 am »

Call the dogs of Footski, he owes me a pint!

OMK · « **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2009, 11:27:20 am »

Oh, Chris, I could tell you a few horror stories of some of the tampered meters I've seen over the years. Yes, it is possible to get the sucker to run backwards. And no, I shan't reveal the gruesome details, but believe me, there are some determined folk out there.
Are you familiar with those so-called slot meters?... the ones where you have to pump in a few coins to get electricity, like those installed in holiday chalets and suchlike?
Yeah, you get the picture.

sheerline · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2009, 11:34:32 am »

Those slot meters were a rip off, had one of those in my flat as a spotty youth...didn't try fiddling it of course!

Wasyl · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2009, 12:03:29 pm »

Whatever happened to the simple procedure of drilling a small hole in the back of the meter,and inserting a thin piece of wire,to stop the wheel,it worked every time,But it was all panic stations when we got an unexpected call from the meter reader,whilst the wire was still in,

Then there was the little transformer from a radio with 2 wires attached that you stuck up where the main currant wires were,again it worked,but this method was not without its hazards,sometimes all you got was a big flash/bang,and wet pants

But the most dangerous method i ever saw,was when i was working as a maintenance man,servicing student flats,we were called to a block one day,Where we were met by cries of "we,ve no electricity"
Some bright spark, had driven a 6in nail with a cable attached right into the main supply,coming into the building,suffice to say,it did,nt work to well,

Wullie

barryfoote · « **Reply #13 on:** July 07, 2009, 12:08:45 pm »

Quote from: sheerline on July 07, 2009, 11:20:19 am

Call the dogs of Footski, he owes me a pint!

Okay....Dogs called off.......for now!!

Just let me know if he reneges on that beer ....

OMK · « **Reply #14 on:** July 07, 2009, 12:37:48 pm »

"Just let me know if he reneges on that beer ...."

Actually, it's the plural. Not beer, but beers.... I owe him beers.
Let's all get together and see if we can't sink two-hundred-and-fifty quids' worth before bedtime.

sweeper · « **Reply #15 on:** July 07, 2009, 12:51:33 pm »

The rubbish that some people will buy in the name of "saving" cash.
All the old stories of how to achieve this trick bear witness to the fact that it doesn't function. Even if you use the age old method of jumping the meter by using pins or nails to pierce to supply cable (a common method), you will always leave traces - the next step is to be charged with the unlawful extraction of electrical energy.
I've seen many attempts in this area (former electricity board employee), some clever, most crude. What most people will not accept is that the supply companies have the ability to predict your consumption very accurately (despite what you may think!) and any noticable change is flagged up quickly.
Horror tales? Oh yeah, you name the topic area... Human nature is the source of a rich seam of tales.
Memories of days past of playing cat and mouse with the naughty little people. To my satisfaction, every case we found was taken to law. No messing around in those days and the penalties made your eyes water.

The long Build · « **Reply #16 on:** July 07, 2009, 01:15:54 pm »

Quote from: sweeper on July 07, 2009, 12:51:33 pm

What most people will not accept is that the supply companies have the ability to predict your consumption very accurately (despite what you may think!) and any no ticable change is flagged up quickly.

You would Think but I can quote at least 4 incidents where they have not got a ruddy clue... 1 being that they keep estimating a bill for a gas meter at a property of ours WE HAVE NO GAS, NO Meter , Trying to get one of them to come out to confirm is near on impossible..We did manage it at another property and they confirmed that we did not have a gas meter (Penny dropped) a month later we got another estimated Bill !!.
Probably isolated incidents but I think Not.

sheerline · « **Reply #17 on:** July 07, 2009, 01:28:56 pm »

Long build, surely the quickest way to get em out is to tell em you smell gas?

Ghost in the shell · « **Reply #18 on:** July 07, 2009, 01:30:15 pm »

if you want to save money on electricity, you could buy a second hand 2cyl diesel generator and tun it on red diesel and cooking oil 50/50 and use that to power your house

or turn everything OFF at night

furball · « **Reply #19 on:** July 07, 2009, 02:02:03 pm »

In our old office in London, when we moved in, there was a printing company in the basement & ground floor. As we never got an electricity bill, we assumed they paid the bills and we'd get one from them for our share. One day, not long after we moved in, they did a runner, so our boss thought he'd better contact the LEB as we didn't really want to be cut off.

So, along comes the engineer one day - 'Where's the meters?' - must be down in the basement somewhere - we'd never seen them, so off he toddles and has a poke around, comes back upstairs...

'Your not connected to the grid, mate' - and off he goes.

We didn't pay any electricity bills while were in that office, and that was for over ten years...

Lance

malcolmfrary · « **Reply #20 on:** July 07, 2009, 02:11:46 pm »

About the lack of gas - I went all electric 2 1/2 years ago. It too kalmost 6 months to get them to stop trying to charge for estimated gas usage via a meter that they had disconnected. They only stopped when I actually paid their bill, and in the same envelope threatened them with court action for demanding money that they were not entitled to with threats (their alleged legal department threatening me with non payment of services that I could not have used - in my book thats called theft). Add in their legal departments habit of sending threatening letters with a short time limit by 2nd class snail mail, and absoloutly no way of replying to them. A few months later, a meter remover called. Last year, another one. In the meantime and several times since, several calls asking if I would like to combine my gas and electricity bill.
These are companies that some say can predict your usage. It may have been so once, when they were relatively local concerns. Now that they are national monoliths, they are staffed by disinterested numpties who are incapable of spotting and correcting any mistakes.

Of course, there is just the one way to break the law legally. Become an MP.

OMK · « **Reply #21 on:** July 07, 2009, 03:16:37 pm »

I've heard countless tales of folk being threatened with court action, in the same vein as yours, where the electricity and gas companies are demanding monies. Totally criminal in my eyes, but I guess that's the price for living in a paperless world.
Even though they are a French company, and to their credit, it was EDF themselfs who had written to inform me that my account was in credit, asking if I wished the money to returned to my account. Personally I can't make neither head nor tail of their quarterly statements - it's all gobbledegook. But at least they were honest enough to let me know, else I would still be paying waaay more than necessary without even knowing.
They send their man round to read both the gas and electric meters every three months. Everything tickety-boo and everything all above board. EDF were already the suppliers when I moved to this address, so I guess I have no reason to change. My previous address was supplied by SWEB and I would swear I was paying way over the odds for the amount of electricity I used.
Guess I just got lucky.

cos918 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 07, 2009, 03:50:50 pm »

One problem I can see is a lot of house's now have the new digital meters. I can not see this thing working with the new meters.

John

gondolier88 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 07, 2009, 04:03:29 pm »

Hi,

Read the small writing at the bottom- even if it does work it's made for 3phase electric- not single phase- which our houses are piped with!!!

greg

sinjon · « **Reply #24 on:** July 07, 2009, 04:21:13 pm »

There was a guy in the pub the other night, who was bragging that his electrical supplier had mistakenly credited him with thousands of pounds, a very unpleasant man. He said had not had a bill for years, unfortunately he didn't say who the supplier was.

Colin

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Author Topic: Breaking the law legally. (Read 14079 times)

OMK

furball

barryfoote

OMK

OMK

OMK

Wasyl

barryfoote

OMK

The long Build

furball

OMK