Somebody is using my tumble dryer at night...

[RaisinBread]

I’m convinced of it.

I have a new smart meter it’s been installed for about a month. My resting house uses 9p of electric between midnight and the time we wake up. Always.

So I’ve woken up today and the meter is on 48p.... I went to bed past midnight last night, which is very unusual for me but got hooked into 24 hours in AE and ended up making the kids packed lunches at 12.30. At this point from several lights being left on and the tv running the meter was already on 8p so I knew it would be around 20p at most by the morning.

So I wake up to find it double what I’m expecting and then hear the dryer going. It’s in a building attached to the main house, sort of a boot room. When I rented the house there was no lock to that room (old house with old doors and I think the key was lost at some point) but there was to the main house which has a heavy door, locks and bolts. It didn’t bother me as in a sleepy village. My landlord lives behind me with his family in a converted barn and someone is usually home as they are renovating it.

Even weirder than my tumble dryer being on when I hadn’t turned it on is that the tray that collects the water was bone dry! My washing load in there was bulky cottons that hold a lot of water so it should have been half full/full after my load drying.

I put my load in the day before and due to the pre mentioned tv binge, forgot to take it out before bed to fold.

This has really weirded me out as this is now the second time this week that the tumble dryer has been on in the morning and the meter has been above 9p. The last time was I think Tuesday morning but I live with three kids so just shrugged it off that one of them had put it on by accident when looking for clean uniform. Although thinking about it logically now they wouldn’t have been looking for clean uniform on a Tuesday morning as we have enough sets to last until Wednesday before they need washing and drying....

So do you agree with me is someone sneaking into my house unloading my washing. Drying theirs. Emptying the tray of water and then putting mine back in to fully dry?

@MrsCrabbyTree

😂😂😂😂😂

Op wakes up to vile smell but no one there

Just wondering if there was any sign of the phantom launderer overnight?

Watching with interest on this one, great diagram!

Can you block the patio doors? Or just put something in front of them?

Alternatively mention to your landlord that you feel like you may have had intruders in the property and tell him to watch out in case they go over to his!!

Is it only me wondering if the laundry ghost appeared again last night......

Could the water tray be empty because an animal drinks it? Just a thought, maybe someone said that already?

Following

Take the water tray out and take it inside each time you've finished with it?

Do you have any pets?

Your diagram makes the whole scenario much clearer and I'll put money on the landlord too.

A motion sensor camera is what I would prefer to use as it can be admissable in court if ever you need to go down that road at some future time.

I bought one on eBay from a HongKong seller and it was really cheap but the problem for you is slow shipping times. I didn't 'need' one when I bought it but when I do in the future, it's already here and just needs to be charged (via USB). Neighbour's 2 x teen DS were in my yard one night when I went to the bin, they looked very sheepish when I discovered them and next day I realised a potted Gardenia was missing and when I checked the second one it had been moved slightly, so I guess I caught them 'in the act'.

Would have been great to have the camera running that night!

Good luck and hope you get to the bottom of it asap.

It's been intermittent so setting a trap for a single night won't work. You need the trap in place for at least a week.

Don't use any of the ideas that would scare off or prevent access for the CF - you need proof that someone was there.
If it's not an intruder then you may need your wiring checked. I had a weird too-much-electricity-being-used that was traced to a faulty shower.

Gripping stuff!

It’s FRIDAY! Hope everyone is stocking up on snacks for this evening’s entertainment / sting operation.

Op, rest assured that no hour is too late for an update tonight as I will be up doing night feeds.

Not overinvested at all, no, not me .

Watching! 🍿

Could some sort of animal be somehow drinking the water?

How do you bookmark? although I don’t need to now l’ve posted something meaningless

Will be on bright and early tomorrow for the update!

Ooh it's Friday! Scrolled through to find the diagram and yes it would seem to be the LL. interested to see what happens!

Maplins have motion sensor cameras!!!

Unplug the dryer at night and see if it's plugged in the next morning

Shamelessly placemarking!

This is why I love mn.

If you have a normal door handle on the unlocked outside door put a hair tie on the handle (not looped around, literally just place it on) in the middle of the handle.
If someone opens the door the handle goes down and the hair tie will fall off (test it before you set it).

I spent my teenage years finding innovative ways to see if my sister was going in my room to ‘borrow’ my things, this was by far the best way to ‘prove’ she’d been in my room (and was eventually enough ‘proof’ to convince my parents I needed a lock on my door.)

The landlord is taking your washing out, drying his/hers then putting yours back in

Not been on here for long, but I do like a CF thread, they’re my favorite ones. I need to somehow find the ‘shitting man’ thread, can anyone point me in the right direction please

I need to somehow find the ‘shitting man’ thread

It's a good read, and it has a conclusion! Pop kettle on and settle down...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3089895-AIBU-re-shitting-man?msgid=75700143