Landlord has foreign wiring what should I do? Breach of contract?

[drtyvns]

I live in an apartment in a building with 4 other apartments. I found out my landlord has foreign wiring (foreign load) which is not legal and is not up to code with PPL's requirements. This issue has caused a drastic increase in my electric bill. I checked my usage and it has been as high as 45 kWh a day, and I was not even home that day! My landlord has to know about the foreign wiring, its not just an accident. Our lease states that he will keep all utilties, including electric, up to date and in working order. It also states that I only pay for electric, heat, and hot water for my apartment. He has electric in the hallways and the basement that could be tapped into mine making my bills through the roof! Is this a breach of contract? What should I do?? I NEED ADVICE!

 

[justalayman]

What do you mean by the term; foreign wiring?

 

[OK-LL]

"I found out my landlord has foreign wiring (foreign load) which is not legal and is not up to code with PPL's requirements."

Where did you get this information?

 

[STEPHAN]

Are you in the US? If so, what state?

 

[FarmerJ]

so how many electric meters are there for the entire building ? You wrote > It also states that I only pay for electric, heat, and hot water for my apartment< You did not say if your cookstove is electric but even at that , if you have electric cooking, electric hot water and electric heat 45 KWH a day = 1350 KWH in 30 days , I would jump for joy and be forever grateful if you and I traded electric bills. ( just the bills mind you ) 1350 kwh at the rate we pay where I live (14 cents a KW would mean 189.00 not adding on taxes & monthly min service charge which would drive it up more since the monthly service fee here last I looked was 16.00 whether you used zero KWH in a month or 5000 KWH ) SO if your really curious at night see if the hall lights , laundry lights , any heaters in halls , etc are still on then walk around the building when every one is home noting what lights were on via light thru windows then then turn off your main breaker to your apartment and then lastly see if any one comes running to look n see why they have no lights.

 

[drtyvns]

I am in Pennsylvania. Foreign wiring means my landlord has some things that use electricity hooked up to other floors and apartments and not just his own electric.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Your postings make little sense.

If you believe you are paying for electrical use for lights, etc. outside your apartment, do what FarmerJ suggested; wait until night, flip your breakers off, walk around the apartments and check to see if the lights in the hallways and basements still work.

Gail

 

[justalayman]

I am in Pennsylvania. Foreign wiring means my landlord has some things that use electricity hooked up to other floors and apartments and not just his own electric.

has some things hooked up...and not just HIS OWN ELECTRIC.

that makes no sense. I suspect you mean



anyway, as others have suggested, but a bit different:

turn off EVERYTHING in your apartment that uses power, not by the breakers but by turning everything off or unplugging it. Have absolutely nothing on using power, including clocks, nightlights, water heater, anything. Do this when other loads you suspect are on your panel may be being used. Then check your meter. It should not be registering any use at all. If it does, then your suspicions are correct. Then start turning off one breaker at a time and checking to see if the meter stops registering use. When it stops, by turning that breaker on and looking around to see what is on and then turning it off and checking, you may find at least some of the foreign loads.



If you cannot find what is using the power, at least leave the breakers that are being used in the off position. Then check to see if everything in your apartment works. If it does, leave the breaker off and see who complains.

 

[drtyvns]

I will be going to my breaker tonight and turning my main breaker off. I believe my landlord has electric from the common area (hallways) of the building, water pump in basement, etc. hooked up to my meter with his foreign wiring. Sorry if I made little sense but here is PPL's definition of Foreign Load (or Foreign Wiring). This should help if you didn't know what it was...


Section 1529.1 of ACT 54 OF 1993 requires the owner of a residential rental multi-dwelling building or mobile home park to be responsible for utility service when the units are "not individually metered."

A residential rental unit is considered "not individually metered" when wiring from other parts of the building, another apartment, or from common use areas and electrical equipment outside of the rental unit is connected to the meter serving that particular rental unit.

A nonresidential unit is considered "not individually metered" when wiring from other residential parts of the building, another apartment, or from residential common use areas and electrical equipment is connected to the meter serving that particular nonresidential rental unit.

This is known as "foreign load." The owner of the property is responsible for the utility service for that meter even if there is a lease or agreement involved.

By law, utilities MUST put the account in the owner's name effective the day they become aware of the "foreign load" when any of these situations occur:

the utility finds the foreign load as a result of a field investigation, which is usually requested by the tenant ratepayer;
the owner/landlord informs the utility that the foreign load exists; and
the utility finds the foreign load as a result of a blocked/unblocked meter

 

[justalayman]

I know what you meant by foreign once you gave a brief explanation. The problem is I am in the electrical field and given there are lot of non-US posters here and the fact many foreign (as in non-US) electrical systems are quite different than US systems, I simply wanted to be clear on your statement.

In other words: it wasn't you or what you said. It was how I perceived it.

the problem with shutting off your main is the foreign loads may or may not be something you will notice. Something like a water pump, unless you can actually observe the pump or there is some indication it is not energized (and water pumps do not run 100% of the time anyway), you may have no indication it is on your power system. If you suspect things like hallway lights or such, then yes, it would give a clear indication. I suggest walking around and viewing anything you believe may be connected to your system before turning off your breaker. Then turn off the main breaker and check those very same loads. Then turn it back on and check again to verify they are back on. That will be a pretty clear indication they are on your panel.