How I Spend My Money: ESB Engineer Asking Developers For Backhanders

WELCOME to How I Spend My Money, a totally original series on WWN that looks at what people in Ireland really do with their hard-earned cash.

This week we chat to one anonymous ESB engineer who has found an additional revenue stream in the form of inducing property firms to give him cash in exchange for expediting connections to the national grid.

Occupation: ESB engineer (for now)

Age: 59

Location: Dublin

Salary: €68,000 (plus undeclared corrupt payments I extorted from developers to install metres and drop off substations)

Rent: Own home outright, which would further beg the question why I’m seeking under the table illegal cash payments for doing the job I am already paid to do by my employers.

Household bills: Lost track of how much they are, usually just pay with cash from last developer I fleeced.

Transport: Lovely new car, bought outright with cash from…yup, you guessed it.

Other spending: €160 per week on physio as aches and pains building up from performing so many shakedowns.

Monday

Commit crimes as outlined above and generally take the piss.

Tuesday-Friday

More of the same.

What I learned:

As great as this gig is, the good times can only last so long. Am now looking into transfer to Irish Water as I’ve heard equivalent scams being run there haven’t come to light. Easy money.