'AITA for refusing to let my neighbor charge his Tesla using my electricity?'
"AITA for not letting my neighbor pay me to charge his Tesla at my outlet?"
CattyCattyCattyCat writes:
My partner and I moved into our apartment in March. It is a residential building with three units, including a detached garage apartment behind our house. We noticed that our neighbor, who lives in the garage apartment, had his Tesla plugged into an outlet by our front door.
We suspected that this outlet was connected to our electric meter, so we tested the theory by briefly unplugging the charging cord. We saw the electric meter come to a halt when it was unplugged. Not wanting to be a^#&oles, we plugged it back in.
I texted our landlord with our findings and asked if there was another outlet the neighbor could use. She responded that the neighbor had sent her a screenshot of his Tesla app showing an estimate of $19 in charging for the month and that he was willing to pay us $20 per month until there was a long-term solution.
She said an electrician would come to confirm the situation and establish a permanent setup for his car charging. The neighbor then texted me, saying this had just been brought to his attention and that he had no idea he was using our outlet.
He said he had been using it for two years and no one had ever mentioned it to him. Evidently, he has been knowingly charging his car at an outlet he has not been paying for during that time.
We looked at the electric company’s rates and, based on the consumed kWh shown in his Tesla app, the cost at the current rate plus tax would be about $35 per month, not $20. We are financially comfortable and a $15 monthly difference is not significant, but asking for $35 feels like we are nickel and diming our neighbor. The cost would likely vary each month anyway. The actual solution is for him to charge at his own outlet and not use ours.
I texted our neighbor to say we did not want any money until the electrician had confirmed whether he was using our outlet. Tonight, our landlord texted us and said he was going to start sending us $20 per month to cover the electric usage.
My partner texted both of them and said we do not want any money; we want our neighbor to stop using our outlet. Our neighbor replied that ours was the only outdoor outlet. My partner asked why it had to be an outdoor outlet.
The landlord replied that using an indoor outlet would require a cracked window, which would be energy inefficient. (Our neighbor keeps his windows open all day, every day. We live in California. Even if it were hot, there are solutions. He could use a flat extension cord or add weather stripping to seal the window.)
The landlord replied with “Understood” and instructed the neighbor not to plug into the outlet by our front door anymore. The neighbor has not responded. I am feeling kind of a^&$oley because it is a very small amount of money, and we know he needs to charge his car.
It is a small apartment complex and we see him every day. But also, this should not be our problem. He should be the one solving his charging issue and paying for the energy, not us. On the other hand, we could easily let it go. We just do not think we should be the ones dealing with this at all. Are we the a^%#oles?
People responded to OP's post.
tomk7532 says:
YTA. Just tell the Tesla owner you want $35 a month and show them your calculation and move on. I’m sure they’d be happy to pay you $40 or $50 a month for the convenience. The other solution proposed (extension cord through a window) is a fire hazard and against the building code.
Also, they haven’t been knowingly stealing electricity. They probably asked the landlord “hey can I charge from this outlet” and the landlord probably said sure. For all they know they thought it was a meter paid by the landlord.
terpischore761 says:
NTA. This is a landlord problem so make it your landlord’s problem. Flip the breaker off and let the other tenant and landlord come to a solution that doesn’t involve you paying for someone else’s electrical usage.
ninaa1 says:
NTA. $35/mo is lot to give away for free! Especially since the neighbor knew his bill hadn't gone up since getting the Tesla, so he knew someone else was footing the bill for him and he didn't have the decency to knock on your door to ask if the outlet connected to your meter. I wonder if the folks voting E S H would hand over $840 ($35/month x 24 months)to their own neighbors without being pissed about it.
HottieInHoodies says:
Definitely NTA. The costs should be on him, whether small or big. He's basically been freeloading off your electricity for two years.