Electricity providers quash rumours of non-prosecution

Electricity providers quash rumours of non-prosecution

National electricity providers have moved quickly to quash rumours that they do not prosecute offenders who are discovered illegally extracting electricity.

With some Rochdale residents voicing their concern that electrical providers are failing to punish those found guilty of electricity theft, companies have moved to reassure paying customers that steps will be taken against those found guilty of electricity theft.

Amy Rynn from the Npower media team said: “We're actually very proactive in this particular area. Electricity theft is not only illegal, it is also dangerous.

“We work closely with the distribution network operators to detect and prevent theft and the majority of our meter readers are equipped with technology so they can easily spot any irregularities.

“Anyone caught stealing electricity will always be referred to the police.”

Phillipa Burgess, Media Officer at EDF Energy had similar comments to make. She said: “Tampering with electricity networks is both illegal and extremely dangerous.

“EDF Energy works closely with the police and other authorities to rectify a situation when an incident of energy theft takes place.”

Edward Black, who commented on behalf of the SSE media team, did admit that whilst his company doesn’t always prosecute individuals guilty of this crime, they will still look to recuperate the money lost from electricity theft.

“We agree that once electricity theft has been identified, customers need to pay for the costs involved.

“The regulatory framework gives us the right to recover the cost of the unrecorded electricity and other related costs like visit charges, administration, reconnection charges and replacement meter costs.

“While there are occasions where we do prosecute, we look at every case individually and take appropriate action. We find it works best in the majority of cases if we set up an enduring payment arrangement which takes into account the customer’s ability to pay."