Am I an uncharitable bitch ?

[snugglecat]

I live in a small block of flats. The guy opposite us is a bit of a character 30-40 pretends to be homeless in the local town but obviously has a two bed flat to himself. The police are often knocking on the door and the corridor often has the smell of cannabis but he doesn't cause me trouble. We politely exchange a hello on the stairs but that's about it.

I've noticed recently he's had the flat door propped open on occasion but there is no lights on - I suspect he's run out of electric (but has money for weed)

Today I came home and he's ran an extention cord from one of the sockets in the hall through the letterbox into the flat.

Our communal areas are well looked after and regularly cleaned, but we do pay the service charges for this . Which includes the lightening and maintenance in the cost.

Effectively he's stealing electricity and we are all paying for it (16 I'm the block) .

I have been a single mother living on the breadline making ends meet so I've known hardship. I'm since married with two children . We do OK but we watch the pennies.

I feel annoyed by him doing this but in the same way I'm annoyed with myself for wanting to report him - do I really want someone sitting in the dark with no electric , even if it is self inflicted ?!

So wwyd? Aibu to report him to the housing association ? Or should I be more charitable and turn a blind eye ?

Interested in your views !

He's not going to be running much off an extension lead, certainly not powering his whole flat. A lamp or two won't use much electricity, you wouldn't even notice it split 16 ways. An electric heater would be more though.

I'd report. It is blatant exploitation of the rest of the residents. It's more about the selfish lack of thought for the rest of you than about the money. He doesn't know and clearly doesn't care whether the rest of you are counting your pennies.

Also, if he can afford to buy a 50m extension cord....I think he's taking the piss.

Oh for god's sake use your imagination.

Do you seriously think he's literally just gone out and bought it, when he can't afford to top up his leccy?

Unless you were taking the piss, in which case that was very funny

JustSpeakSense (oh the irony) has it occurred to you he might have bought that years ago, when he had money, or borrowed it off a mate?

OP you really need to report him if it's still there on Tuesday. It's not safe.

Definitely report him. He sounds dreadful. Steaking commual electricity.Pretending to be homeless, so conning people out of money and spending it on drugs. As for giving him money for electric card, really?!

I wouldn't but only As I'm too scared to do things like that in case the person retaliates somehow.

Hedda what makes you say he's not going to be running much if it! He could have a stack of multi points running off it.

The money wouldn't bother me, but the safety aspect would.

Let's hope he's not growing cannabis - that would be a lot of electricity!

Given that the OP thinks he's powering many items from this communal socket with a 4 gang, let's consider what may be powered this way.

Two 4 gangs plugged into a 4 gang equals 10 sockets. Potentially. That's a fridge, freezer, electric cooker, microwave, maybe washing machine - how many kw are we up to now? - computer, lamps, clocks, chargers. Shall we also count incidentals like iron and vacuum cleaner? It doesn't take a genius to realise that what has been described by the OP is not a good thing.

That said, the bloke clearly needs assistance if he's resorted to hacking into the communal resources to get by (unless he has a massive hydroponics setup in the spare room, in which case the stink would be evident and 101 is your port of call). Personally I would have a word with the landlord, or, if you have one, a manager for the complex.

Cut the plug off! Or take the fuse out.

Report it - they need locking sockets for the cleaners use only - yes its a fire risk - he is likely running too much stuff off the one socket if its his only leccy

He won't be thinking of the affect on other people.

Addicts are fucking selfish. I'm guessing he prioritises the weed over lighting/heating/food.

I might be projecting I've a friend who's an alcohol. Just rang to say she won't be in touch as she had no electric to charge her phone. I can tell by her voice she's managed to buy drink

Normally I try and help but I just can't keep pulling money out to do it. Il be up half the night worrying now.

I feel sorry for anyone living like that even if they are not really helping themselves because it's a hard way to live. However in this instance I'd report it because it's a fire and trip hazard and it could cause others harm.

It's possible he has had his benefits sanctioned,hopefully the housing association will help. Maybe that's why he begs, too.

I wouldn't have an issue with him smoking weed, I do myself (but don't stink out the hallway).

I'd be freaked out by the thought of the fire hazard.

I would report him , (I have a massive problem with anyone that smokes cannabis.)

You know about half the population smokes do you really have a problem with all of them based off the fact they smoke a plant! Barmy.

Leave him alone its none of your business.

I would be an uncharitable cow on this insistence and report as it would piss me off. What would or could be done I don't know.

If he's still smoking weed that would double piss me off, excuses couldn't care less.

I'm uncaring cow tdy, might feel different tmrw

I would report it. I wouldn't want to pay for his electricity.

Just had to comment on the issue of plugging several appliances/extensions into one socket. I did that last year, and it certainly wasn't a good idea. Ended up shorting out half of a socket. I'm lucky that it started crackling and singing whilst I was there rather than when I was at work. I'm going to make the assumption that your building has better electrics than mine, and fuses would trip off if there was an issue, but it's still not worth the risk. You should report for safety reasons alone.

I also have the issue with anyone who smokes weed, destroyed 1family member, 2nd one - may just get help in time but has fucked him too, and I've just had experience of now another person paranoid to fuck that has caused trouble. So I happy to wear my Hate & no tolerance of weed.

Ciaovenora Actually only about 7% smoke weed in the UK.

YANBU, OP, report him for the safety aspect if you suspect he's powering his whole flat on one extension cord.

He cannot continue as he is presumably, but he does need help. 'Reporting' him on this basis, and the potential hazards of what you think he's doing with the elecrical cord, might be an idea.

I wouldn't report it, personally. I'd laugh. It's the sort of story you dine out on - "remember the flat where the guy ran a lead through the letter box to the power on the landing?"