Posted on 11/18/2009 9:45:18 AM PST by Nachum
KISSIMMEE — Stealing power from utilities has become the recession's crime of choice for penny-pinching suspects large and small across Central Florida.
A supermarket CEO, cash-strapped homeowners and even pot growers have landed in jail in recent months, all charged with meter tampering for allegedly stealing electricity — a crime costing local utility companies millions each year.
Industry spokesmen say power thefts have spiked as unemployment and housing foreclosures have increased during the past two years.
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
wait until the GM volt becomes available!
Two words: Grow houses.
Like insurance, we’ll be compelled to buy it...
I don’t even want to imagine what owning an electric car will do to utlity bills.
My husband left his diesel truck plugged in last winter for a month when he was using a company truck to commute. Our electric bill went from a normal $50 to $105.
That was the end of that!
“A meter at a Bravo Supermarket in Kissimmee’s Buenaventura Lakes section “was only reading 67% of the business’ actual electrical usage,”
So I guess he cut off the wire from one amprobe on a 3 phase circuit.
Any electricians here know if that would work?
Time to be looking at off-grid energy, folks, and not for “green” reasons.
These people intend to CUT YOU OFF from energy usage, and if you don’t have an alternate supply, you’ll freeze in the dark.
It might be a while, but they will get around to taxing or punishing you for your own private wind generator or photovoltaic system.
The goal is to reduce your lifestyle. These folks are simply wired for control.
There was a house for sale in my neighborhood about 12 years ago that had an interesting electrical connection. The owner, who had died, was a LONG TIME Puget Power employee. He had two electrical lines running into his shop, which had a LOT of electrical powered stuff. They were hooked up in such a way that they negated each other on the power meeter. But he had to make sure they were used somehow in conjunction.
The new owners did not know about it and just used one of the lines. They got a visit from the power company when they showed NEGATIVE power usage their first month... :)
The technician quickly realized what the guy had done, but since he was dead there wasn’t much they could do about it.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus
A friend of mine rented one side of a duplex and had huge electric bills. He finally convinced the electric company to look into it. They found that both sides of the duplex had electric lines running through his meter. The owner of the duplex had rigged it up when he built the house.
I hereby officially predict that if Cap n Tax passes, the rate of accidental electrocution in this country is going to increase by 876%...
Wow, that’s like a monthly payment on another financed tattoo.
There’s 2 ways I know of and has seen done. The easy way is to simply remove the meter, it merely unplugs, and jump the terminals inside the meter base with a pair of car jumper cables.
The better way is to again remove the meter and using linemans pliers slip a piece of hacksaw blades between the terminals and then put the meter back in. Power will go mostly through the blades instead of the meter.
“Wow, that’s like a monthly payment on another financed tattoo.”
I’m sorry?
Wait until Cap and Trade is in effect and see what happens. People will steal it rather than have their families freeze to death during the winter.
I would *love* a $105 monthly electric bill!
You make one mistake and your family want even be able to open the Casket at your funeral.
The problem with either of those though is that you have to break the seal. And then they will notice that.
Around here it’s $15 to get it resealed by the utility company. (No, I wasn’t ripping off power. I was putting in a new service entry panel).
ah, it will be a golden age for Slippery Pete, the rogue electrician from Seinfeld....
The problem with either of those though is that you have to break the seal. And then they will notice that.
Helpful Hint: Meter Readers in most locations are no longer Utility Company employees with good pay and benefits. This work has been outsourced to third-party firms who hire part-timers at about a dime over minimum wage. I am sure most will be open to an arrangement to share your savings with them.
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