Hotline of power engineering specialists:
Specialists of IDGC of Centre - Voronezhenergo division perform regular work to identify and stop non-metered and non-contractual electricity consumption. Particular attention is paid to identifying installed “modified” meters by consumers - metering devices with performed modification that can distort actual amounts of electricity consumed.
Thus, during one of raids in February of the current year in the city of Pavlovsk of the Voronezh region, the power engineers discovered at once 5 “modified” meters, which were installed in houses of residents of Tenistaya and Pridorozhnaya streets. The volume of “stolen” electricity amounted to almost 31 thousand kWh.
Before the raid, Voronezhenergo’s specialists conducted preliminary monitoring of readings of all metering devices installed with residents of these streets, the volume of electricity supplied and paid for, consumed by households of possible violators. The results of the raid confirmed the suspicions of the power engineers - with unscrupulous consumers modified metering devices were found, which underestimated the actual electricity consumption by an average of 70%.
For all the cases identified, acts were drawn up according to which the unscrupulous consumers must compensate for the damage to the grid company. It should be noted that the amount of damage, calculated in accordance with the current legislation, significantly exceeds the amount of actually consumed electricity. For those violators who do not voluntarily do so, the debt will be recovered in court with all court costs incurred.
In addition, the power engineers sent applications to law enforcement agencies, as in the case of identifying the theft of electricity, the violator not only compensates for the damage to the power grid company, but also bears administrative responsibility in accordance with Article 7.19 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation or criminal offense of up to 2 years (Article 165 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
By installing “modified” meters, unscrupulous consumers hope to save a lot on electricity, and sellers of such illegal devices assure them that interference with the meter cannot be detected. However, it is not so. At the moment, the energy company has a significant arsenal of special techniques and technical means that allow to quickly identify the modified electricity metering devices.
“As a result, an unscrupulous consumer incurs significant financial costs - he pays the seller for the rather expensive illegal meter purchased, the grid company for the damage, the administrative fee and, in addition, he is obliged to purchase and pay for the installation of a new, legal, metering device,” said Deputy Director for Sale and Development of Services of IDGC of Centre - Voronezhenergo division Denis Fedorov.
Voronezhenergo’s specialists remind that bona fide consumers who pay their bills regularly suffer from criminal acts connected with attempts to steal electricity. Due to illegal connections to power grids, installation of modified metering devices, attempts to “consume back” meter readings in various ways, voltage drops in the grid occur, household appliances fail, the probability of failures, fires and accidents increases.
The power engineers call upon the residents of the Voronezh region to fight together with energy thieves by joint efforts - cases of theft of electricity should be reported by calling the direct line of power engineers at 8 800 50 50 115 (toll free). You can also leave a message on the company’s website at www.mrsk-1.ru
