To confirm whether the neighbor is illegally stealing electricity, while avoiding alerting the other party, the following hidden and legal methods can be used for preliminary inspection. However, please note that any operation must comply with the law and avoid infringing on the privacy or property of others.： --- ### **1. Observe the operation of the electric meter (careful contact is required)** -**Normal situation**: After turning off all electrical appliances in the home, the electric meter should stop or slow down significantly (mechanical meter) or the pulse light should stop flashing (electronic meter). -**Abnormal signs**: If the neighbor's electric meter is still running when the main gate is closed for a long time when it is uninhabited, there may be power theft. -**Operation recommendations**： -Public meter box: If the meter is centrally installed in a public area (such as a corridor), it can be observed whether the meter is abnormally active when the neighbor claims that “no one uses electricity”. -**Note**: Avoid touching other people's electricity meters or lines privately, which may involve legal risks. --- ### **2. Check the appearance of the line (only in public areas)** -**Signs of illegal wiring**： -There are irregular lines on the exterior walls (such as privately drawn wires and flying wires that bypass electric meters). -The meter box has been modified without authorization (such as additional wiring and damage to the meter seal). -**Operation recommendations**： -Only observe the lines in public areas and do not enter the private territory of neighbors. -Take pictures to record suspicious traces (such as broken meter seals), but avoid photographing neighbors' private areas. --- ### **3. Use non-contact inspection tools** -**Infrared thermal imager**： -Detect abnormal heat generation of electric meters or lines. Power theft may cause the line to overload or short circuit, resulting in abnormal hot spots. -Advantages: It can be scanned at a distance without touching equipment. -**Clamp ammeter (non-contact)**： -Measure the current outside the wire. If the neighbor claims that there is still current after turning off the appliance, there may be a problem. -It is necessary to ensure that only public lines are measured during operation and avoid contact with private property. -**Note**: Certain technical knowledge is required to interpret the data, and the tool cost is high. --- ### **4. Compare electricity consumption data (indirect method)** -**Horizontal comparison**： -If the electricity consumption of neighbors is significantly lower than that of similar households (such as heating in winter but extremely low electricity bills), there may be abnormalities. -Learn about neighbors' electricity habits through community small talk (be cautious and avoid direct inquiries). -**Vertical comparison**： -Observe whether neighbors have not paid their electricity bills for a long time but use electricity normally (such as inferred from the announcement of the property/Power Supply Bureau, but pay attention to privacy). --- ### **5. Contact the power supply company for anonymous verification** -**Legal way**： -Anonymously report suspicions to the power supply company and request a professional inspection. They are obliged to investigate the theft of electricity and will keep the information of the informant confidential. -The power supply company can confirm abnormalities through professional equipment (such as remote monitoring of smart meters and on-site inspections). -**Advantage**: The safest and most reliable way to avoid personal risks. --- ###**Precautions** -**Legal boundaries**： - Do not enter a neighbor's territory or operate their electricity meter without authorization, which may constitute illegal invasion or destruction of property. - Avoid the use of eavesdropping, surveillance equipment and other means of privacy infringement. -**Risk warning**： -Misjudgment may lead to neighborhood disputes. It is recommended to accumulate reasonable doubts through indirect observation before reporting. -If power theft is confirmed, it should be resolved through the power supply company or legal channels, and do not confront it by yourself. --- ###**Summary suggestions** Priority is given to ** Contact the power supply company anonymously** or entrust a property inspection, which is both professional and legal. If you want to investigate by yourself, you can combine the observation of electricity meters in public areas and the scanning of infrared thermal imagers, but you need to ensure that the operation does not cross the line. After mastering the preliminary evidence, report it to the relevant departments in a timely manner and it will be handled by professionals.