Shared well pump, we are paying fully

[Valveman]

He is figuring 1500 gallons per day, which should be enough for at least 3 families. That would be 5 bucks per family, per month.

 

[Ballvalve]

We rent a house on a farm. The house is connected to a well that is about 30 feet from our house. We can see where the pipe goes underground from a sunken area over the pipe. The well pump is in our house and controlled by our breaker box. The well pump is also brand new. When we first moved in our lease stated that the well pump also powers the barn. Our first electric bill for a full month was 400kwh. No sweat.

Then our landlord added an apartment to the end of the barn for his other daughter, her boyfriend and their two kids to live in. Our September bill jumped by 200kwh. He acknowledged that an additional family would use the well pump further and cut our rent by $25. October was 900kwh. November was 1,900kwh!!!! Even though we keep our heat at 60 and only heat one room with a portable radiator. December has done us in at 2,500kwh. Our well pump is constantly running. The barn is at least 100 feet from our house. The apartment was not inspected or permitted in any way.

I have a massive bill and we are freezing trying to save pennies. Could there be a leak? Could the problem be a second household working off our pump? Any suggestions or ideas are welcome as our landlord is basically saying that our bill should be this high from heating. Our electric company says it shouldn't be anywhere near this high. We can't continue to live here if the bill isn't reduced significantly. The well pump is cycling constantly, especially when we hear the water running through the pipes. Thanks.

Turn off the pump breaker each night for awhile and see if the apartment people come running to turn it on again. Turn the guy into the building department - he could very well have tapped into your power. Is the pump breaker and all your breakers and meter on your rental? do you have electric heat only? That will do it quick. You have plenty of right to break the lease with just a little more information.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Ballvalve]

Yeah it would take a 1.5HP pump running 24/7 (no cycling on/off) to use that much energy. I would turn the power off to the pump for a night and see if the daughters apartment goes black.

Funny, I just saw this and it's what I wrote earlier - guess we are on the same page. But on re- reading the guys situation, the breaker for the pump is in his house, and I suppose the meter also. So the landlord would have to be quite a devious genius to be stealing power for the new apartment. Now, if the meter is outside on a pole somewhere, there are many simple ways for him to tap off your juice and send it to the water heater of the new, illegal apartment. If you are not electrically proficient, it will be hard for you to track any power theft. Might have to hire an electrician.

Again, if you are using electric heat, all bets are off on winter bills. You will go sky high. The best way to break a lease is to not pay the rent and send a certified letter with a list of the defects in the house. Move out, and believe me, he won't chase you for the lost rent because its too expensive. Finally, tell him your first stop after he tries to collect any rent due on the lease is the county building department, which would, in this county, cost him from 3 to 15,000$, depending on if he exceeded the septic capacity.