Hotline of power engineering specialists:
For the first half of 2017 employees of IDGC of Centre - Smolenskenergo division revealed 446 facts of theft of electricity in the Smolensk region. At the same time, the power engineers drew up 441 acts of non-metered electric power consumption of 5.3 million kWh (which increased the branch’s revenue from electricity transmission services by 14.1 million rubles), and 4 acts of non-contractual electricity consumption by almost 0.13 million kWh.
Specialists of the branch constantly work to identify and suppress facts of non-metered consumption of electricity. The main tool to combat theft is monthly raids of employees of Distribution Zones to verify the operation of metering devices and inspection of overhead lines for illegal connections. If a fact of theft is established, an act of non-contractual or non-metered consumption is drawn up, which are transferred to the offender. Payment for them is made by the consumer who allowed the theft of electricity, directly to the address of the branch. In cases where payment is not made, violators are awaiting trial and the amount of debt increases by the amount of legal costs that the offender will also pay.
The main types of violations, according to which the power company reveals theft facts, are various ways of affecting the meter, breaking seals off electricity meters, replacing the meter without notifying the branch’s staff, ignoring the fact that the meter is out of order, connecting power installations bypassing the meter and connecting to electric grids without a contract for energy supply with a sales company.
In addition to violating the law, theft of electricity carries a serious problem. Firstly, grid connection bypassing the grid organization, carried out in an "artisanal" way, can lead to violations in the operation of grid equipment and electric shock. Secondly, the additional non-metered load on the grid leads to voltage fluctuations, failure of household appliances, can provoke a fire or even threaten the life and health of people.
Conscientious consumers can help power engineers solve these problems by reporting possible thefts to the grid organization by calling the round-the-clock direct line at 8-800-50-50-115, short number at 13-50 (from fixed telephones) or e-mail vorunet@mrsk-1.ru. In the shortest time, all calls will be checked by the company’s specialists.