Energy theft is all around us. In homes, businesses and communities across the country, energy thieves are putting innocent and vulnerable people at risk.
Have you ever thought about the people who actively prevent and detect energy theft every day? We spoke to a team of representatives from the energy sector, also known as energy safety officers, who work around the clock to keep you, your family, your neighbourhood, and your community safe from the dangerous consequences of energy theft.
Read on to find out more.
What Does an Energy Safety Officer’s Job Entail?
An energy safety officer will typically be a highly qualified individual, employed by an energy company to detect and investigate energy theft, make properties safe, and deal with each case adequately both in a domestic and commercial situation. We also work proactively in teams using local knowledge and data to identify energy thieves, and potential energy theft “hubs”.
As part of the process, we also attempt to educate customers, identify the motives, and outline the risks involved in their behaviours. Usually, the culprits don’t understand the seriousness of energy theft as an offence, or the devastating effects it has on families and communities.
What Are The Most Common Motives for Energy Theft That Energy Safety Officers Come Across?
One of the most common motives when committing energy theft is financial struggles. People who are finding it hard to pay their electricity or gas bills are often tempted to try and steal energy in order to reduce their bills. In circumstances such as these, consumers should always contact their supplier to ask for assistance. It may be that suppliers can offer a different tariff, or provide advice on how to reduce usage, or put them in touch with debt advice agencies such as Stepchange or Citizens Advice.
In other instances, offenders hear things through the grapevine, see things on social media, or get information from the wrong sources. This leads to the temptation to tamper with energy meters themselves, without realising the tremendous risks their actions pose.
In some circumstances energy thieves may be prosecuted resulting in a criminal record and sentence. They may face a light sentence if they are first-time offenders and harsher sentences if they are repeat offenders.
Some offenders commit energy theft as a way of facilitating a criminal activity such as growing cannabis. Cannabis farms use huge amounts of electricity, so much so that in almost 100% of cases, the offenders are also committing energy theft. The crime of cannabis cultivation has increased significantly through the Covid-19 pandemic which in turn means the risks of energy theft are more.
What Are the Most Common Signs That Someone Is Committing Energy Theft?
Energy providers can sometimes use their data intelligence to identify people that are potentially committing energy fraud. They can then visit the respective properties so they can inspect their meters.
In other cases, engineers or agents visiting properties to carry out other work may notice that something is not quite right with the meter and will report it for further investigation.
Energy providers can also spot electricity theft offenders, by comparing the bills of one property with bills of similar properties in the area. If there is a substantial difference, then the supplier is likely to visit the property to check the meter is working correctly.
Behavioural signs of customers include:
- Having windows open during winter months
- No snow on roof when it has been snowing heavily
- Wasteful or excessive use of electricity
- Locked meter cupboards
- Obstructions in the way of the meter
- Refusing access to an engineer
How to identify gas energy theft.
How to identify electricity energy theft.
What Are The Consequences of Committing Energy Theft?
If we find evidence of energy theft, an investigation takes place. Identifying the customer’s circumstances is important in order to proceed. Once a property is made safe, our job is to work out the very best way to move forward.
Sometimes the customer is given a warning, especially if they are vulnerable, and the meter is exchanged/corrected. If, however, the offence is serious enough to be escalated and reported, it can lead to prosecution from the police.
Usually this is the case for repeat offences, after a customer has been given a warning and then re-offends, which is around 40-50% of the time. We will then assess the situation based on the customer’s understanding of their actions and their willingness to comply, but also the severity of the offence.
Even if the incident is not escalated, the full cost needs to be repaid, either in one payment or in instalments with an agreed payment plan depending on the customer’s financial situation. If the customer doesn’t comply, or re-offends, this might lead to a substantial fine and/or a criminal record.
The financial and social consequences of committing energy theft are not extreme. But, tampering with your meter can have disastrous consequences such as explosions and fires. This, in turn, can destroy your home or place of work, the surrounding properties, and in some cases can lead to severe injury to you, your family members, your neighbours, or colleagues, sometimes fatally.
You can report energy theft using our online form or call the Stay Energy Safe reporting line on 0800 023 2777 and speak directly to a member of the Stay Energy Safe team. Both of these services enable you to remain 100% anonymous.
Please note, this service is independent to your energy supplier and can only take calls relating the suspected meter tampering or energy theft.