Wingpete Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Has anyone considered using the access cover plate of street lamps to get free electricity ? I ask, as I have been watching a big group of motorhomers and caravan users, parked in the local council car park, getting all their electricty for TV's, chest type deep freezers, ice cream vans and workshop airline compressors, from the local lamp posts. It seems to work ! (^) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteS Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I may be wrong and I'd love to be proved so, Would this not just be a tiny bit illegal. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Sorry to be the boring parson here, but it's what used to be called STEALING. Wingpete, you really need to find another way to power the deep-fat fryer for your pork pies! :'( Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roamer Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Take a programmed robot with you, send up the nearest electricity pole with a couple of leads. At least you won't be electrocuted. Definitely illegal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 That will be the ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Err ... guilty! Accidentally you understand!!!! When we were in the centre of Bayeaux last year (Sunday night), it was advertised in the aires book as having free electric, water etc. At the side of the aire was this box thing with electric hook ups in it so we duly hooked up. It was only in the morning that we realised it was the ones meant for the market stall holders! :-S *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share Posted March 1, 2007 Tony, Did I ever mention a deep fat fryer ? NO ! Never had one. Agh ! discovered, that is why the pork pies were getting more cooked than wanted. Must get around to changing over from parrafin heaters to this modern leccy stuff. Mind you, the pile of logs I now have might make for futuristic reading, when I have mastered the means of igniting the logs in the BBQ. Anyways, the travellers have been moved on, and the old bill is chasing hard, as the Council wants re-imbursing for the megawat of ower used in past week. I suppose that will be an additional on my council tax. 'bout time I invested in a self igniting ever perpetuating incinerator to save the council from removing any garbage emanating from this abode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Mel - Chances are the market hook-ups were from same source as the Aire ones anyway - both would have been provided by the "commune." French local authorities seem much happier than ours with the idea of giving away electricity. We've found quite a number of Aires with free hook-ups, including a lovely one by a canal, originally provided for boats but now with marked "Camping-Car" bays. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 In the UK, the offence is "Abstracting Electricity" contrary to Section 13 of the Theft Act 1968. This is committed when a person dishonestly uses, without due authority, or dishonestly causes to be wasted or diverted, electricity. It carries a penalty on conviction on indictment of a maximum term of 5 years imprisonment. On summary conviction (probably more likely) max term 6 months imprisonment and/or a fine. People working together to commit the offence risk a further charge of conspiracy to steal. All in all, probably not a good idea to try it! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
empress Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Is this a giant leg-pull? If true I imagine height barriers will soon be in place! Empress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 The facts, as stated, are true. Witnessed in the public car/lorry park on the A 259, Southwick, Sussex, opposite entrance to Shoreham Harbour. As they were travellers, "authorities" waited until they moved on, then sealed the lamp post access plates, again. >:-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
empress Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Sorry I doubted you. Travellers, of course, must not be forbidden to do this for fear of infringing their "rights". Empress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Contractually forbidden from getting involved with anything political or controversial at the moment, I am really looking forward to writing some "Freedom of Information" requests when I retire later this year........ Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Just in case anyone feels tempted: apart from illegal, this is also extremely dangerous unless you now exactly what you are doing!The supply to a street lighting column is usually taken directly from a nearby mains cable. There is only a withdrawable fuse as an "off" switch, and a timeclock or photovoltaic switch, or sometimes an area control switch cable, to control the supply to the light. The "Public Lighting Authority" then usually pays for the unmetered electricity on a per column basis, the charge rate varying dependent on the type of lamp and controls used.Thus, there is more than enough potential electricity present, via a somewhat unpredictable switching arrangement, to fry you to a coco crispie! Might infringe the human rights of the thief if he gets toasted, but his "estate" will have some difficulty explaining why/how he was not responsible for his own demise.Methinks the best approach would be a quiet word to the local fuzz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted March 3, 2007 Author Share Posted March 3, 2007 Brian, appreciate your input, but it was not intended as a serious proposal, just used to illustrate what some "other" people do to save money, like wild camping *-) Ooops, That'll get some stick, you see. :-> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 PeterThat was understood, but better safe than sorry. I'm not convinced everyone on this forum is over 40 Watts, if you see what I mean, and if you look at the number of views compared to the number of posts, who knows who is reading? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 While on holiday a number of years ago in the Dominican Republic we went on a tour of local communities and houses. As we went through them we noticed they all had lights burning and it was around 2pm and full heat of the day. The guide informed us that they linked all the electric in the homes to the street lighting and none of them ever paid a penny for it. He also said that 2 large companies from UK had offered to re wire the whole place and sort out meters for the houses, the government declined their offer as it would loose them too many votes and they would be put out of power. Made me smile each time we went out after that to see all the wires , coat hangers and other amazing contraptions they where using, have to say other than their lives their homes would not take much to replace in most areas. Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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