CF builders?

[carringtonm]

Lighthearted!

Due to ongoing issues, our whole road have had to have the front and back gardens dug up and redone. It's been going on since October. There are seven houses in our street. All the side gates and a small portion of fence from the back gardens have been removed to allow easy access, so effectively anyone can go into any garden at the moment. This is fine - we certainly wouldn't expect the contractors to be refitting seven garden gates and fences every day for months on end.

I'm home and noticed that there are 6-8 builders working out the front of my neighbours' houses (but not on mine) today. I was pottering around upstairs and happened to look out of the bedroom window and noticed that there was a kettle plugged into our outside electricity socket (this did not come as standard in these houses, we had it added ourselves in the summer).

I spied for a while and realised that the builders are using our electricity to make their hot drinks! AIBU or is this a bit cheeky considering that a) they aren't actually working on our property today, b) we are likely to be the only home with an outside socket as they were not fitted as standard and the houses have only been built for a year, and c) this reconstruction work has been ongoing for over three months and is not set to be finished until April - so six months worth of electricity to make hot drinks every weekday for however many men (there have been up to 20 contractors on site at various points so far).

I fitted an outside socket a few weeks ago... I put a dual pole isolator indoors so CF's can't steal my electric and to prevent it tripping out the rest of my house if it goes wrong

If they do a full kettle 4x a day for 3 months it'd be about £6 I think? Saying all this, I wouldn't say anything to them. It must be awful working outside with no facilities close by for a hot drink.

I'm not sure how to turn it off. It's connected to the garage electricity so might be a switch in there.

There are three of them standing in my back garden having a chat while they fill up their flasks now. It is cheeky.

I'm torn between stealing the kettle when they're not looking and going all out and inviting them all over for tea later.

It’s common to have outdoor sockets here in Canada. We have one out front and one round the back. The front one is very handy - no trailing extension leads out of doors or windows. Most commonly used for plugging in engine block heaters when it is -30 outside.

If whoever fitted it is worth their salt, there should be a switch on the other side of it to isolate it. Possibly on it's own circuit on the consumer unit, it'll have to be on an RCD as it's "likely to be used outside".

Cheeky Fuckers, and lazy if they can get a cup of tea just up the road. But mostly cheeky for not asking rather than the act itself.

Surprised so many would plot to switch it off.
OP, you sound like a good egg

It just feels a bit mean to switch it off, but they can go and get their drinks at the site office, and I've seen them boil the kettle three times since I got home at 12:30. It's also just dawned on me that they're also using our outside tap to fill the kettle!

I used to have outdoor electric boxes and my parents do for the Xmas lights , my Dad fitted them so there will be switches inside . Mine had an RCD adapter fitted to it and switched off in the kitchen .
You should find a switch inside the garage .
Cheeky buggers workmen are , they will plug in a portable cooker for their bacon and coming for a s### in your loo next and we all know how that goes down on Mumsnet !

We have an outside socket and it can be padlocked at the base of the cover. If they're going to be there long term this is something you may wish to consider...particularly as they watched you struggle with shopping whilst abstracting your electricity!

The most attractive one just said "alright" and smiled at me when I took the recycling out. All is forgiven.

It sounds like you're benefitting from the overall work so given that it's a cold January and it can't be costing you more than pennies overall I'd be inclined to let it go

Go out and leave a price list - 10 p per cup made, and 5 p for the water!
Why should you pay for it??

I wouldn't begrudge them a cup of tea but I would be annoyed that they were using our electricity without permission and would think they'd bugger off if they caused any damage - we had builders use our outdoor socket when we had work done last year, they kept tripping the mains as they kept plugging in wet plugs into the socket. I think its worth saying something to them

@LyraPotter We are benefitting but the work is only necessary because of negligence from the builders (as a company, not individuals) in the first place.

I'm not going to say or do anything, it's a tiny issue in the grand scheme of things. But I still stand by them being cheeky buggers!

Cheeky fuckers! I would be very pissed off. How very dare they

They watched your struggle with your shopping and they’re stealing your electricity and water?!

Well I’d definitively steal their kettle, flasks and any other items they leave lying around with a ransom note left on your tap making it clear consequences are serious for messing with a pregnant lady 🤨

They should have a welfare unit provided for them and it is not your responsibility to feed/water them. If they havent got a welfare unit then thats not your problem and they are actually stealing your electric so i would have a word first then if they carry on i would report it to their bosses. This would really annoy me. And no i dont hate builders most of my family are in construction.

They're working in my garden now so I feel more obliged to let them off. Might get DP to have a look into turning the socket off before we go to work tomorrow. The kettle has been used five times this afternoon that I've seen - they don't seem to have planned breaks together, it's just whoever fancies a cuppa goes and gets one.

Make sure they're not charging their power tools from your socket otherwise you'll end up with a nasty electricity bill.

As for the kettle, I would go out and tell them to make you a cuppa two

The main thing is not asking you first. When they've finished work on your house, I would speak to the site forman.

Virgin were putting cable in by us and the houses have kitchen facing road with outside tap in front garden. The tarmacced were filling a huge bowser from one house where the people were at work. We were told and turned ours off a kettles fine but that's taking the piss

We have a couple of outside sockets and can turn them off onside the kitchen - I would turn if off so that they can’t use your electricity without permission

I would be taking my mug out and asking for a coffee and some biscuits