20/01/2014 Inside Out East Midlands

Hello. Tonight, Inside Out East Midlands is focusing on energy. We

are tracking down the power of the sewer costing us all money. All the

power is used to these two metres is not being build, it appears. They

are getting it for free, for now. We meet the community that has built

its own power supply. It is putting money and resources back into the

village. And we 0 money and resources back into the

village. And we are in the house that time forgot. There you go, free

can all water. As the row over energy prices gets evermore heated,

a growing number of people are now choosing to steal their gas and

electricity. Some of the thieves are cash`strapped and desperate, but

there are others happy to cheat the system while living the high life.

In this exclusive report for Inside Out, Mark Jordan joins the

enforcement teams as they hunt down the power thieves.

Energy prices are making headlines as our bills hit an all`time high.

Honest households pay up. But ?30 a year of our bill is paying for the

power thieves. The meter has definitely been interfered with ` it

has a fake seal in the top. This is the story of the power thieves, and

the people who track them down. The British Gas training academy in

Leicester. Here engineers learn how to spot tampering of gas and

electric supply. It's never been more needed. Difficult economic

climate = more people are feeling this is the only way they can get

their energy ` so the trend is upwards. This is a huge problem ` we

believe ?500 million worth of energy is stolen each year. In terms of

what that means for a customer, but edgily ?30 a year on their bills, a

lot of money for our customers, money they shouldn't have to pay.

For the 0 money they shouldn't have to pay.

For the next few days, I'm riding along with Piers and Malcolm ` power

theft investigators. The most bizarre case I've dealt with is a

nursing home. When we caught the owner it cost him ?25,000. But this

morning's call is for much smaller fry. Well, the first three we have

got are domestic. A routine meter reading on an East London estate has

discovered a single mother of three tampering with her gas meter. There

was what appears to be a cooker hose at the time that actually replaced

the gas meter. Even with gas central heating they only paid ?15 last

year. Her mini people live in the property? My mum, my two sisters and

myself. The meter's back but hasn't been installed correctly. Because

the mother has children she's considered vulnerable and can't be

cut off. Potentially this one will go to the police. We try to trace

back whos doing this. We find trends where people go round estates and

tamper with meters. These people will charge a range ` we've heard

from ?10 to ?500 a time. They can do 10`15 a day. They are not putting

themselves at risk. If something happened there its all the adjoining

properties and everyone in there that's going to be affected by

potential explosion. This was the scene that people on Dundas Road

woke up to this morning. Whatever the cause, gas explosions can be

deadly. A suspected gas explosion inside a terraced house. In

Sheffield last year this entire house was blown apart. Miraculously

no one died. It's a chilling reminder of the dangers of gas. The

damage of that explosion was so great that authorities were never

able to pin point the exact cause. Emergency services were worried

about other dangers ` so they decided to conduct a test. The

police were on site and they asked us whether or not we felt it was

right to look at some of the other supplies on the street and, yes,

from 20 houses in a single terrace street sure enough we found five gas

thefts and two electricity thefts. It's a great example of how and what

the scale of the issue is. Little now shocks Mark ` he's had

80`year`old pensioners removing gas meters. He has seen all sorts of

ways of stealing power. It is a bicycle inner tube. This tube would

be across here like that. Hello? We have come here to inspect the

electricity meter. This flat's total bill of just ?5 for last year led

them to find this dangerous bypass. Malcolm prepares evidence for

prosecution and the bill for years of 0

prosecution and the bill for years of stolen electricity. It was back

built since 2008 from when the account started. It is going to be a

big bill. It will be. We are now in a very rich part of Essex. Homes

here often sell for over a million. But the team have a tip`off about an

eight bed mansion with ?300,000' worth of cars on the forecourt. But

the house is suspiciously energy`efficient. Can I come in to

see what you've got? Where is the light switch for this room here?

Within minutes of the team's arrival the power to most of the house

mysteriously goes off. My suspicion is that all the back of that house

and garage is on unmetered supply which they have now turned off. But

where to look for the illegal supply? Just looking to see if any

of it has been taken up recently. The owners insist the only meters

are the ones outside. But an hour and a half into the search, Piers

finds another supply. I can see the paper. Another electricity meter.

Moments later... There we have another gas meter. All the power is

being used to these two metres, it is not being build, it appears. They

are getting it for free. For now. But very soon it is a mansion

without power, the legal supply is cut off. It will not be restored

until an estimated ?6,000 of stolen energy is paid for. These people can

quite obviously afford to pay for their energy, and yet, they are not.

Theft is being made all the easier by the Internet. We are from British

Gas, come to inspect the gas meter. It doesn't seem to be moving. We are

going to leave you off supply. Cut off the gas. The crude scum from

China `` scam is being uncovered. We are now going to remove the index

mechanism. He exposes the cogs that drive the meter mechanism, it is the

moment of truth. It has got teeth that have been taken off. Cut off

half of the teeth and you have the bill. Only a fraction of the gas has

been recorded on that index. You still don't know anything about it?

When that could've happened who could have done it? Meanwhile,

Malcolm produces an estimated bill. It's ?1,782.10 for the past four

months. Can you pay that? Otherwise I have got to tell the engineers to

make sure that supply is kept off. We will walk away with the meter.

The owner's credit card means this is one bill we will not be picking

up. Immunity from prosecution not included.

There is one area of power theft where police, not power companies,

take the lead. Nationwide police uncover over 20 cannabis farms a

day. Most steal their electric. Essex Police raid up to six a week.

It is not a third of the electricity stolen in Britain goes on cannabis

farms. They follow the wires all read the house and they think that

this electricity is being stolen from the neighbours. You can see

there is a power cable, coming from next door, they have spurred the

power from next door. Police are now under orders to destroy everything

that makes growing cannabis possible. Power theft. Whether on

cannabis farms or the chip shop, it is booming, and unless detected, we

get the bill. The total invoice amount is for ?7,702.88. Catching

the thieves is costly ` few will ever see prison. Here, cheeky enough

to ask for a discount! We don't offer discount. I think that is too

much. OK, do you want to get the electrician in? We don't give a

discount. The lights may go out ` but the bill's still on us! Cut the

electricity. Off! The East Midlands uses more energy

per head than anywhere else in the country, yet we have some of the

poorest households. As prices soar, we sent Jim Davis to out find what

help there is for families in fuel poverty. And to find out whether

community action is one solution to those big bills.

The East Midlands uses 40% more energy per household than anywhere

else. So when costs rise we're hit hard. The political debate is

electric. We know what a Labour government would mean, freezing

energy bills until 2017. Freeze that bill. The Right Honourable gentleman

is acting like a conman. He is promising something he knows he

cannot deliver. Many people take a choice this winter between heating

and eating. I hope he will welcome the Green Deal because it will give

households the opportunity to cut their bills on their costs with

absolutely no upfront cost. No matter how much politicians talk

about reducing our energy bills they seem to keep on climbing. We have

got green taxes, green deals. Freezing bells and freezing homes.

Is it all just a lot of hot air? For Julie Laird from Nottingham, heating

or eating isn't a political catchphrase ` it's a daily choice.

Julie is sole carer for grandaughter Millie and every week she spends

about a quarter of her income on heating and lighting. We like a cup

of tea, don't we? I have to buy the cheapest brands and I have to budget

very carefully. I can't afford meat. That is a luxury. Julie used

to work in a care home but she's now on incapacity benefit and strong

painkillers because of a slipped disc. ?45 a week of her benefits

goes into the gas and electricity prepayment meters. We just live in

this room with the gas fire. It's too expensive to heat the whole

house. 0 too expensive to heat the whole

house. The definition of fuel poverty changed last year. Now you

only count if you have above average fuel costs which leave you with an

income below the official poverty line. It doesn't matter to Julie.

However you measure it, she's still an official statistic. And exactly

the sort of person the government's green deal is supposed to help.

Julie lives on the Clifton estate. Most of the houses here are built of

something called no fines concrete and are notoriously poor for holding

their heat. So Clifton found a great green deal solution ` solid wall

insulation. They tapped into the energy company obligation or ECO. It

obliges big energy companies to help us all shrink our carbon footprint.

When we started filming, thousands of Clifton homeowners were being

offered insulation for a fraction of the price it actually cost. Tenants

got 0 the price it actually cost. Tenants

got it for free ` all funded by British Gas. But last month the

Chancellor cut green taxes. This week, we deliver on the promise made

by the Prime Minister to roll back those levies. The result is an

average of ?50 of family bills. The change to green levies meant, two

weeks ago, British Gas served notice they were pulling the plug. Emily

Braham is part of the Nottingham team that negotiated greener

housing. She's gutted. We have now got 90 days notice so we will do as

many properties as we can within that. We are looking to see what

funding is available to try to put something together for the rest of

Clifton. It is really disappointing. We have worked really hard to get

this scheme off the ground. We were hoping to create long`term energy

savings for residents. So what else can people like Julie do? We're

always being told to shop around for our energy. Your current bill

estimate is 1650. At Hope Church on the estate a group called RISE

Regenerate is offering a drop`in clinic to help people who struggle

to get online. They think that will save you ?235. If you do shop

around, you can find cheaper deals but you have to know where you are

looking. When Julie and I look into the green deal we find you can

borrow money for energy saving improvements and pay it back through

your electricity bill but it seems to be aimed at homeowners not

tenants like Julie. Now you have had a look at this, what you think about

it? Do you think there is advice for you? No. It's very confusing.

Doesn't apply to me. So we offered to get Julie some independent expert

advice. We'll find out how she got on a bit later.

Perhaps the answer is community action rather than relying on

government help. In the village of Hockerton in Nottinghamshire they've

clubbed together to build their own power source. How much does one of

these cost? Second`hand, we paid about ?65,000 for the turbine but

the connection was another ?60,000. So this is the metre room. How can

you see how much you are making? On this dial here. It is actually

1,115,000 kWh since we installed it. Feed in tariffs pay back the 76

investors with interest of around 7%. We are also giving money to the

village. ?200 to improve sustainability. Brian Smith is one

of the original investors. Ironically in his day job as a

solicitor advising on planning he often opposes wind turbines. But

he's a big fan of this one and has been so inspired he's even built his

own eco house. Have you noticed your bills changing? We have the last

bill here, ?200, and that is everything. I think the key thing

for this house and for this situation is insulated. It is

keeping energy costs down in the first place is better than

generating power. Back in Clifton Julie's got a visitor. Can I come

in? Thank you. Melvin Young is from the charity Nottingham Energy

Partnership. There is quite a lot of draft coming through the door. There

is a large gap so we can put some draft excluders across. You have got

a tumble dryer which is an invented and humble drivers use a lot of

energy. He's something of an expert in cutting energy bills. And he

finds Julie's house is insulated but draughty. She has the main fabric of

the house done correctly. It is all about the internal aspects and how

she uses energy. While Julie's thinking over all that advice I'm

off to the Belgrave area of Leicester. Vinod Popat has another

idea for cutting big bills ` he wants people to bulk buy their

energy. You get a lot of people joining in the scheme and then you

go to the big companies and negotiate. Our in numbers? Power in

numbers, exactly. Vinod told me it's already worked elsewhere ` he just

needs 300 people to sign up. We stand a very good chance. Getting a

discount of 20%. You can save ?60 a quarter. That is almost 250 per

year. A few weeks later and I'm back at Julie's house in Clifton. So

what's changed? Well, Millie's had a birthday, and Julie's had a present

from the council. I see you have a new front door. Yeah, it's very

nice. There are no more drafts and it is a lot warmer. So it has made a

difference? Definitely. Julie told me she's 0

difference? Definitely. Julie told me she's stopped using her tumble

dryer, and she's started using her radiators more carefully. She's also

trying to switch to a cheaper deal on direct debit rather than

pre`payment meters. So with a bit of advice Julie's managed to cut her

bills just by changing the way she uses her energy. Something most of

us could do, to be honest. But if bills keep rising, she'll struggle.

Like millions of others. Maybe it's time we came up with some long term

solutions. Finally tonight, we are going to

visit some houses were repair bills are an even bigger problem than

energy costs. Some of the oldest housing we have is in the

countryside 0 housing we have is in the

countryside and stop a lot is the property of big country estates

which, between them, one and a quarter of the land in the East

Midlands. Many homes have been rented by the same families for

generations. But that is all changing.

This castle dominates the skyline and the land around it. The estate

owns 350 homes and business properties. This house could have

been in their family for anywhere up to 100 years. Repair bills can be

huge. Some need of urgent work. We want 0

huge. Some need of urgent work. We want to 0

huge. Some need of urgent work. We want to get them 0

huge. Some need of urgent work. We want to get them done and back on

the market. There has been a pupil in recent years. `` upheaval. I am

not the most popular person around here but as time goes on, the key

thing is to keep this 0 here but as time goes on, the key

thing is to keep this heritage together, 0

thing is to keep this heritage together, intact. 0

thing is to keep this heritage together, intact. And they have

uncovered some remarkable projects. We'll have a quick look. Yet, best

way is through this window. They have purchased a 0

way is through this window. They have purchased a time catch all of

the house to restore. 12 years ago, we featured this estate and what was

then the new Duchess, on the first Inside 0

then the new Duchess, on the first Inside Out. We have to make this

work for future generations, for my son, for the nation, I believe,

certainly for the East Midlands. We did a lot of events in the castle

over a lot of days and that wasn't cost`effective either. So I has...

Had to make a 0 cost`effective either. So I has...

Had to make a lot of 0 cost`effective either. So I has...

Had to make a lot of changes to make it viable to survive. The engine

Yard is where the estate building workers were based. They lost their

jobs. At its height, the castle directly employed 180 people. On

land and working in the castle. Now, there is a staff of only 20. I made

a lot of people redundant and a lot of the people had lived and worked

on this estate for generations. I outsource everything to local

people. It is the property income which keeps the business of running

a Duke in this area going. This man is the property manager. When

families move 0 is the property manager. When

families move out, he moves in people to fix things. This cottage

was a good example of what you find when a family had been in it for 100

years. We have a lot of fancy detail on the outside walls. Underneath you

will be a well where the water and we used to pump that allowed. We

will have to make that safe. Little has changed and damp as takeover.

This black mould in the corner, there was probably a lot of

furniture in there which has made it a lot worse because of the furniture

is against the wall it will sweat. He is so passionate about wanting to

make these properties right and he is so passionate about every pound

is a prisoner, which is one of my great views 0

is a prisoner, which is one of my great views about running heritage.

It is easy to let pounds go up to hundreds and thousands. This estate

building is now run as a top`class bed`and`breakfast. You can also go

glamping here at the right time of year. It is a great opportunity for

businesses like ours. We have picturesque views and it is easily

commutable for corporate client from London and around the world. Country

estates like this one are vital for the local economy. Events like the

horse trials generate income but it is important there are places for

businesses to be based. It is important to maintain the landscape

and keep traditional buildings but we should find new and good uses for

them. Back at the castle, another estate property is the home to the

artist in residence, a successful sculptor who light`year fantastic.

When you work and live on an estate like this, you basically have

everything you need to hand. The raw materials, this space. Yet... The

more people who live here, the more chance the pubs and shops have of

staying open. You have the responsibility to the community.

There is isolation if you want it but most choose to do more. I have

done workshops in local schools. A lot of the types of schools were

kids perhaps don't come from very privileged backgrounds and wouldn't

normally have gone and experienced at in a big city. The days when

generation after generation lived in the same house are going. This man

worked for the estate until he was 75 and has retired to a grace and

favour flat. His family lived in a house which she remembers have no

plaster on the walls. It was just bare brick. You had to go about 50

or 60 yards to the toilet. But that was luxury compared to this place.

It has just been bought back by the estate. Two elderly brothers lived

here. There has never been any access. 0

here. There has never been any access. There is no electric, no

water, no seating at all. They had a hose pipe coming out of the canal

so, hopefully, it might still be there. I've only been here a couple

of times. Word around here is they had been prisoners of the Japanese

in World War II. That is quite an old box isn't it? 1904. 2000. Let's

see if we can get any water out of it. We are getting 0

see if we can get any water out of it. We are getting a bit. That is

free canal water. It doesn't look too bad, does it? I don't think I

would want to drink it straight out of the canal. I know they did years

ago. And this is the toilet the heart. `` they had. The estate

survives as the money it gets from a landline. `` landlord. At last they

have their heads above the financial parapet. In 15 years' time I'm

hoping I will have groomed some one like my son into thinking, mother,

move over. We will see how it works out on Inside Out in 2029.

And we look forward to it. That is it for another week. Thanks for

watching. Next Monday, inside out investigates legal highs. I have had

one bad experience and I thought I was going to die. If anything bad

happens to me I blame myself. Hello, I'm Ellie Crisell with your

90-second update. The mother of Mikaeel Kular has

appeared in court charged with his murder. The three-year-old's body

was found in Fife on Friday. Rosdeep Kular was remanded in custody.

Suspended for refusing to apologise over sexual harassment claims - the

Lib Dems say Lord Rennard will now be investigated for bringing the

party into disrepute. He's always denied the allegations. An

investigation cleared Lord Rennard and he insists he's nothing to say

sorry for. Police have released disturbing

footage of a violent mugging in Birmingham. The victim was knocked

unconscious, moments later he was kicked and robbed. A number of cars

drove by without stopping. More than 30 drivers have been told

they won't face prosecution over this pile-up if they go on an

awareness course. It happened during thick fog in Kent last year. 200

people were hurt. The Rosetta spacecraft launched ten

years