How to stop using home charger

[PITA]

Hahaha, some great ideas there!

I have the Tesla home charger so unable to lock through the app at the moment, but would be a great update in future. I also didn’t lock it to just Tesla cars as customers to my wife’s photography studio (in the garden) get free use while on a pre-booked session.

I have cameras so will capture video of anyone who does use it, but rarely have Wi-Fi while away so won’t know until I’m back. It’s not often the house is empty anyway so probably not a huge issue, just wondered if there was a solution. Currently I’m in the Middle East with work and the wife is on half term holiday with my little boy which is what prompted the question.

There are a couple of options.

Our driveway has retractable Ram Bollards... they can be retracted vertically into the ground with a metal flap lid covering them.

So when retracted they're completely invisible. When deployed and locked they stop all vehicles coming onto the driveway, or going off the driveway.

I have three of them, cost about £800 each installed and are gas strut assisted to reduce lifting load.

In the UK, it's not against the Law for anybody to park on your driveway... it's a Civil Matter, not a Criminal one. So the Police won't get involved unless you commit a Criminal offence trying to remove it (which is a crazy scenario). So it solves that issue as well...

If you wanted to secure your wall charger physically, you could install it inside a lockable security housing with a door to open it up, like a meter box.

 

[fancealot]

or an even simpler fix, put a padlock through the charger cable's square locking pin hole - downside is probably won't fit in a holster and would have to hang loose/wrap around the charger

 

[Avendit]

There are a couple of options.

Our driveway has retractable Ram Bollards... they can be retracted vertically into the ground with a metal flap lid covering them.

So when retracted they're completely invisible. When deployed and locked they stop all vehicles coming onto the driveway, or going off the driveway.

I have three of them, cost about £800 each installed and are gas strut assisted to reduce lifting load.

In the UK, it's not against the Law for anybody to park on your driveway... it's a Civil Matter, not a Criminal one. So the Police won't get involved unless you commit a Criminal offence trying to remove it (which is a crazy scenario). So it solves that issue as well...

If you wanted to secure your wall charger physically, you could install it inside a lockable security housing with a door to open it up, like a meter box.

At the point they are plugged in tho they are now stealing electricity so it would then be criminal and you could call the police? Someone (not even sure who) takes a pretty dim view if you bypass your meter, so 'stealing' electricity is a thing?

 

[Xdama]

There are a couple of options.

Our driveway has retractable Ram Bollards... they can be retracted vertically into the ground with a metal flap lid covering them.

So when retracted they're completely invisible. When deployed and locked they stop all vehicles coming onto the driveway, or going off the driveway.

I have three of them, cost about £800 each installed and are gas strut assisted to reduce lifting load.

In the UK, it's not against the Law for anybody to park on your driveway... it's a Civil Matter, not a Criminal one. So the Police won't get involved unless you commit a Criminal offence trying to remove it (which is a crazy scenario). So it solves that issue as well...

If you wanted to secure your wall charger physically, you could install it inside a lockable security housing with a door to open it up, like a meter box.

What about blocking them in your driveway until they pay up, parking fee and for the charge?

 

[init6]

Yes, encourage it

What's your address, and when are you away?

Took me two minutes to find it on Google.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

There have been instances of people renting out other peoples driveways through the apps that allow that (nice little earner for some scrote, and not a damned thing you can do about it).. although that's probably only an issue within walking distances of railways etc.

I suspect the risk of stealing electricity in this way is fairly low, but if I did live in an area where it was a risk I'd probably go the full bollard solution.

 

[JonB]

It does seem more likely that someone may try to steal the charge point, especially when you consider the cost of the darned things. That's one reason I don't really like units with lights on them that stay on (assumption here) as they may draw unwanted attention to themselves. Also, consider that an attempted theft could do some serious damage to the charge point. That's why mine's in the garage. I have a small hatch to pass the CCS cable through, if the M3 is on the driveway, with a discreet cable holder to the side. And even that has a hinged flap covering it (more for rain protection than concealment, but it serves both purposes).

 

[G4WFT]

I'm a bit bemused by all these solutions. We have a Pod Point charger and when we go away I simply trip the breaker that feeds the charger. What's difficult about it?

 

[PITA]

At the point they are plugged in tho they are now stealing electricity so it would then be criminal and you could call the police? Someone (not even sure who) takes a pretty dim view if you bypass your meter, so 'stealing' electricity is a thing?

You phone any Police force and tell them somebody has stolen £3 worth of Electricity from you... you just try it.

If they don't laugh, they'll arrest you for wasting their time...

 

[JustJohn]

Probably nowadays yes. The fact they're a thieving scrote bag and waste of fresh air seems to have no bearing nowadays.

You've given me new slang that I hope takes in the US.

 

[Xdama]

You've given me new slang that I hope takes in the US.

No problem at all for reference “scrote” is scrotum so in that context “ballbag”

 

[Adopado]

No problem at all for reference “scrote” is scrotum so in that context “ballbag”

or ... for the Scottish inflection "bawbag" ... which is quite popular ..

 

[Xdama]

or ... for the Scottish inflection "bawbag" ... which is quite popular ..

The baw bit would add to the confusion though lol. Consider our American friends have male and female fannies whereas we just have female ones ……unless you’re describing a male gender being like a fanny of course

 

[roblab]

How cheap can people be? It costs me around ten dollars to fill up my Model S (not from empty, of course), and if people feel it's worth ten dollars to steal someone else's power, well, that's just sad. Poor people, spent $50 - 100K on a car and now can't afford filling it up! At the least, they should get their car keyed. But if they asked, and had a real reason for needing to plug into my system, well, sure, I'd let them charge. It's not worth getting all upset over.

 

[init6]

How cheap can people be?

It's a theoretical question from the OP. No-one has yet said it has happened to them.

 

[NewbieT]

Don’t worry about it. It just doesn’t happen. I’m sure it will occur (more) in future but as people say, lots of ways to manage it.

Try to keep perspective. If it does happen you could:
1. consider yourself a good samaritan giving a random act of kindness. They clearly need the £5 or are very low on battery. I’m not saying it’s right(!)
2. Swear and stick up a big warning sign above your charge point warding off future freeloaders. Contact the DVLA for their details and send them a small claims bill for £5. Seek an injunction to prevent them doing it again.

Save yourself the stress- go with option 1.

 

[Xdama]

Don’t worry about it. It just doesn’t happen. I’m sure it will occur (more) in future but as people say, lots of ways to manage it.

Try to keep perspective. If it does happen you could:
1. consider yourself a good samaritan giving a random act of kindness. They clearly need the £5 or are very low on battery. I’m not saying it’s right(!)
2. Swear and stick up a big warning sign above your charge point warding off future freeloaders. Contact the DVLA for their details and send them a small claims bill for £5. Seek an injunction to prevent them doing it again.

Save yourself the stress- go with option 1.

I’m with you on no1 …..unless it becomes a frquent thing or whichever freeloading scroat tells his mates and you end up with a regular few visitors whilst you’re out lol. You could also put up an honesty box with sign lol.
I don’t see it being an issue to be honest, certainly not for myself even now let alone when I move. Both houses at the end of a cul de sac, the new one private driveway with 2 houses hidden from the main estate.