I feel that my neighbours have connected their boiler to mine

[Learner99]

I live in a terraced house with one side consisting of 6+ people living inside a house and the other side is empty.
1) I do not trust my neighbours
2) I had let a guy into my house even though deep down something didn’t feel right
3) I was in a rush and thought he was the boiler man
3) The night before, I had coincidentally been in contact with somebody to get my boiler checked
5) So I opened the door and said “Hi, you must be the boiler guy, come in”…
He seemed taken back, then stumbled on his words as he said “uuhh yes okay”
6) He had a tooth box with him and I left him to do whatever he was here to do but now I feel it had something to do with my neighbours
7) My neighbours know quite a few sketchy folks, they had moved in not too long after the old neighbours had moved out and put the house up for sale
8) I used to have sky high energy bills but after turning my boiler off when I am not using it, seems to have lowered my bills
9) I hear my boiler try to turn on even when it is off? I feel that my neighbours boiler has a leading pipe via the party wall in my kitchen
10) I really do believe it is related to when I let that individual into my home
can anybody, who has a better understanding on this topic or has had the same thing happen to them share with me on what I can do?

Kind regards

 

[SJB060685]

I don’t mean to sound horrible here but I think you’re being paranoid. You say a leading pipe from your boiler? Do you have a combi boiler or a system/heat only? To tap into someone else’s boiler requires knowledge, pipe work, electrical cables and so on.

 

[Chuck]

Contact the 'boiler man' referred to in point 4 of your list and ask them if it was them you let in. If not, when they come, ask them to check your pipwork.

If the guy who turned up was a plumber (but not yours) most likely they realised they were in the wrong house and let themselves out. To be on the safe side, have a look round to check that nothing has been stolen. (Jewellery, cash, credit cards, passport, etc.) I believe that some burglars disguise themselves as tradesmen so they can knock on doors to see whether the house is occupied without drawing attention.

Always check the identity of callers by asking them who they are, who they work for. Don't say, for example, "Are you the plumber?" because that gives a criminal enough information to develop a story to trick you.

 

[king of pipes]

I have to agree with the guys above I doubt your boiler has been connected to your neighbours system this would take some time to do and be obvious as the pipework would be altered and electrical wiring would have been messed with?.
You must however be more careful in future letting strangers into your home is not good heating professionals are honest trustworthy folk but not everyone is I would hate for you to be broken into or worse contact your original service engineer and verify what has happened . Regards kop

 

[Ric2013]

To tap into someone else's heating system is not an easy thing to do, so seems very unlikely that a plumber with a toolbox could just turn up and do this, and even less likely that it could be done quickly.

 

[gmartine]

Lot's of feel and not much real as the OP was last seen March 6th...

I feel she (probably) is over the emergency hunch.

 

[Jennifer's W]

I have the same problem. I'm in a back to back, rented . My rear neighbour house residents only use the shower when my hot water is on. They always know when its on too even if i don't use anything, as if they have a stat that clicks or something when i switch on. I noticed regular boiler pumping ( every few seconds for about 15 minutes a time) and cursing and realised that whenever anyone in my house goes to shower someone starts running upstairs to use theirs and when I'm not using it at all they continually try their boiler until i get mad and turn the stop tap off for half hour ( ive got the stop taps for all 4 houses). So I decided to play a game with them. I put boiler on water only then go upstairs and shout ' Anyone needs bathroom go now because I'm going in shower ' , I go put the hot tap on and sit down on the loo seat. Seconds later one of the mooch family hurtles up the stairs and starts running water then I sneak down and turn off the cold pipe or boiler and wait for the screams, sometimes I don't even put the boiler on and they still try because I throw the soap around the bath and pick up and put down bottles as if im using the shower. I
sing ' I love to hear those mooches scream, id like to see their boiled skin peel ' (variation of a line stolen from a 10cc song) . A couple of days ago I heard one of the females screeching shed got soap all over her hoo har because I put it off mid use. The pipes to the back are cased in the concrete of the cellar steps so it's impossible to do a pipe trace and gas networks said I was wrong but I'm 100 % certain I'm right so I'll continue with the boiler game until they can't take it anymore and understand they can't have free fuel. The worst thing is they've got heating so why not water with it? I have previously turned off the stop tap while it's been on and now its dripping water from the vent and I can smell what smells like hot metal in my kitchen. Maybe if the boiler burns out they'll get one that doesn't use MY gas.

 

[gmartine]

Glad you have the time and can afford to play that game with your neighbours, I'd be logging my hot water and gas use and then making an official complaint to your landlord and crimestoppers.

https://www.stayenergysafe.co.uk/report-energy-crime/

 

[Scott_D]

I have the same problem. I'm in a back to back, rented . My rear neighbour house residents only use the shower when my hot water is on. They always know when its on too even if i don't use anything, as if they have a stat that clicks or something when i switch on. I noticed regular boiler pumping ( every few seconds for about 15 minutes a time) and cursing and realised that whenever anyone in my house goes to shower someone starts running upstairs to use theirs and when I'm not using it at all they continually try their boiler until i get mad and turn the stop tap off for half hour ( ive got the stop taps for all 4 houses). So I decided to play a game with them. I put boiler on water only then go upstairs and shout ' Anyone needs bathroom go now because I'm going in shower ' , I go put the hot tap on and sit down on the loo seat. Seconds later one of the mooch family hurtles up the stairs and starts running water then I sneak down and turn off the cold pipe or boiler and wait for the screams, sometimes I don't even put the boiler on and they still try because I throw the soap around the bath and pick up and put down bottles as if im using the shower. I
sing ' I love to hear those mooches scream, id like to see their boiled skin peel ' (variation of a line stolen from a 10cc song) . A couple of days ago I heard one of the females screeching shed got soap all over her hoo har because I put it off mid use. The pipes to the back are cased in the concrete of the cellar steps so it's impossible to do a pipe trace and gas networks said I was wrong but I'm 100 % certain I'm right so I'll continue with the boiler game until they can't take it anymore and understand they can't have free fuel. The worst thing is they've got heating so why not water with it? I have previously turned off the stop tap while it's been on and now its dripping water from the vent and I can smell what smells like hot metal in my kitchen. Maybe if the boiler burns out they'll get one that doesn't use MY gas.

Are you sure you aren’t turning off their water supply and so they have to use their shower when you have the water turned on?
Do you have a combi boiler or boiler and hot water cylinder?

 

[gmartine]

I don't understand that first sentence Scott.

 

[Jennifer W]

I don’t mean to sound horrible here but I think you’re being paranoid. You say a leading pipe from your boiler? Do you have a combi boiler or a system/heat only? To tap into someone else’s boiler requires knowledge, pipe work, electrical cables and so on.

I believe them . It's happening with my back to back terrace. I was told by the landlord that the gas had to be on 24 hours a day but he didn't say why . When someone moved in I noticed the same as them, someone trying to pump up the boiler, people only using the water when someone in my house does. I started doing tests, letting them get in and start then turning the pressure down on stop tap, my taps on full or turning the cold water pipe off and waiting for the reaction. I frequently hear them calling me some fruity words through the wall when they can't use water.

 

[Jennifer W]

I have to agree with the guys above I doubt your boiler has been connected to your neighbours system this would take some time to do and be obvious as the pipework would be altered and electrical wiring would have been messed with?.
You must however be more careful in future letting strangers into your home is not good heating professionals are honest trustworthy folk but not everyone is I would hate for you to be broken into or worse contact your original service engineer and verify what has happened . Regards kop

Is it possible for someone to need someone elses' boiler to make their water work and still not cost the boiler owner,? I had someone look at the pipes in my house and they are embedded into the wall and tucked next to the concrete stairs in the cellar so can not be followed properly so impossible to prove fraud

 

[gmartine]

Can you try answering some questions about your system? Do you have access to your property boiler and gas meter?

If someone were connected (assuming combination boiler) and it could provide enough flow to two showers simultaneously you'd have one heck of a gas bill.

 

[snowhead]

Does the same Landlord own both properties?
Who pays the Gas and Electric bills for this property?
Is the property rented all inclusive and maybe also the one back to back, so the Landlord is paying Gas / Electric costs and including them in the rent?

Has the Landlord been around as a result of the back to back complaining to them?

 

[Lou]

(Just bumping a few older threads, they will drop off what is new soon)

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