What Is Electricity Theft?
Electricity theft is when someone deliberately and illegally tampers with their electricity meter or its connections so that it does not properly record the electricity used.
Electricity theft in the UK is distinct from not paying your bills. It involves physical interference with the meter or wiring to prevent accurate recording of energy used.
The latest GB gas and electricity statistics from Retail Energy Code Company show that electricity theft costs UK consumers an estimated £1.4 billion a year, with energy theft adding around £50 to every household's annual bill. This does not include Northern Ireland.
It is extremely dangerous and can cause injuries and, in some cases, fatalities.
Is Electricity Theft Illegal in the UK?
Yes, electricity theft is illegal in the UK, under the Electricity Act 1989, and Theft Act 1968 for England and Wales, with similar legislation for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The punishment for electricity theft in the UK includes up to 5 years imprisonment and unlimited fines. The person legally responsible for the property, such as the landlord, business owner or energy account holder, can be held liable in certain circumstances, even if they did not carry out the meter tampering themselves.
The Dangers of Electricity Theft
Electricity theft in the UK can pose serious dangers to you, your loved ones and your wider community.
Electricity theft dangers go far beyond a prison sentence, putting lives at risk in ways many people don't expect.
Risk of Electrocution
Tampered wiring can make appliances, switches, taps and shower fittings live to the touch. In one case, an employee was electrocuted after his employer bypassed the business's electricity meter. You can read the full story here.
Risk of Electrical Fire
Loose connections and bypassed meters can generate significant heat. An electrical fire doesn’t only affect the property where tampering has taken place. Those in neighbouring properties and in close proximity are at risk too.
A Nottinghamshire pub that was put at risk of fire having had its electricity meter bypassed put the tenant living above it in serious danger.
The Cost to Honest Bill Payers
Energy theft adds around £50 to every UK household energy bill each year. This is not an abstract cost. It directly increases the amount every honest customer pays on their tariff.
Gas meter interference carries its own risks too, including carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that can cause serious illness or death. Read more about the dangers and signs of carbon monoxide poisoning here.
Signs of Electricity Theft: What to Look For
It can be tricky to spot, as some signs of electricity theft in the UK are only visible on the meter itself, while others show up elsewhere in the property.
Signs on the Meter
- Broken or missing security seals
- Scorch or burn marks on the casing
- Loose or unusual wiring
- A meter that does not advance, or runs backwards
Read our full guide to spotting and preventing meter tampering, to learn the signs on your electricity or gas meter, in your home or in your local community.
Signs in the Property
- Sparks from multiple sockets
- Electric shocks from taps or appliances
- A prepayment meter that doesn’t need topping up
If You Are a Tenant
If your landlord charges a fixed or unusually low amount for bills, or restricts access to the meter, this can be a sign of electricity theft.
Read our guide about rogue landlords here.
Who Commits Electricity Theft?
Anyone is capable of committing electricity theft, from your neighbours or landlord to owners of commercial businesses.
Some individuals tamper with their meter in a misguided attempt to cut costs. Organised criminal networks are major offenders too, using stolen electricity to power illegal cannabis farms and to reduce running costs for high street businesses operating as fronts for illegal activity.
If you are the tenant, the meter is locked away and you are denied access to it, and/or if your rent includes bills that seem unusually low, it is possible that the meter has been tampered with. Some rogue landlords charge the tenant/s for electricity but then pocket the money, all while putting tenants’ lives at risk.
A landlord overcharging tenants for electricity is not classed as energy theft but as a breach of Maximum Resale Price rules. This is a separate offence. However, landlords who steal electricity and then overcharge tenants for it are committing both offences.
Organised Crime and Electricity Theft
Electricity theft and organised crime are often linked.
Cannabis farms account for a significant proportion of electricity theft cases. The same criminal networks are also linked to high street businesses operating as fronts.
Cannabis farms are often easy to spot if you look out for some key signs like smell or warmth. Read our guide on cannabis farms and grow houses here.
How Electricity Theft Affects Communities
Electricity theft in the UK doesn’t just affect the person committing it. It can impact everyone around them. The electricity thief, no matter what their intention is, is putting innocent lives at risk.
An electrical fire can put all the properties around it in danger, injuring people living or working there, destroying homes and businesses, and, in some cases, causing death. In one tragic case, a son who bypassed the electricity meter to save money on bills ended up causing his own mother’s death.
In another case, seven-year-old Harvey Tyrell lost his life after being electrocuted in the back garden of a pub in Romford. An inspection of the pub following the boy’s death uncovered serious electrical defects, and the pub owner is currently serving nine years in prison after pleading guilty to gross negligence manslaughter and stealing electricity from an unmetered supply.
The financial cost lands on honest bill payers too, with energy theft adding around £50 to every household's annual energy bill.
Electricity theft is also closely linked to other crime in local areas, from organised criminal networks to rogue landlords. That’s why electricity theft affects a community well beyond a single household or business.
How to Report Electricity Theft Anonymously in the UK
Every person needs to know how to report electricity theft in the UK.
If you suspect electricity or gas theft in England, Scotland or Wales, report it using our simple online form or by calling 0800 023 2777. It’s free and you can remain 100% anonymous.
If you are in Northern Ireland, you can report electricity theft online or by calling 0800 555 111.
You don’t need proof. A suspicion is enough.
We are here to help keep you and your loved ones safe 24/7, 365 days a year.