Hotline of power engineering specialists:
The branch “Rosseti Centre Kostromaenergo” summed up the implementation of measures to curb non-metered and non-contractual electricity consumption for 2019. In the course of large-scale raid work carried out by personnel of Distribution Zones and the electricity metering department of the Kostromaenergo branch, including jointly with the security department and law enforcement authorities, 746 facts of illegal consumption of electric energy were revealed. The damage caused to the Kostroma branch amounted to 87.26 million rubles.
Kostroma power engineers took measures to compensate for the damage caused to the company. On the facts of illegal electricity consumption the law enforcement agencies of the region initiated 2 criminal and 219 administrative cases, 212 people were brought to administrative responsibility. 5.226 million rubles were reimbursed to Kostromaenergo.
In addition, according to the results of monitoring the Internet and due to reports from citizens about the dissemination of information that violates the law on methods of theft of electricity, in 2019 the security department of the branch “Rosseti Centre Kostromaenergo” identified 22 network resources that called for the purchase of instruments and appliances for distorting electricity meter readings6 complaints about recorded illegal actions were sent to the supervisory authorities, in particular, the prosecutor’s office. Based on the results of their consideration and court decisions, 16 web sites advertising such devices were blocked.
Rosseti Centre reminds that the legislation of the Russian Federation provides for the most severe punishment in relation to persons illegally consuming electricity. In case of theft, the violator not only compensates for the damage caused to the electric grid company, but is also held criminally or administratively liable with a fine. On 9 June 2019, amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation entered into force, according to which fines for double unauthorized connection to electric grids and for repeated unauthorized (non-metered) energy consumption doubled. Now in such cases, violators - individuals will be required to pay from 15 to 30 thousand rubles, legal entities - from 200 to 300 thousand rubles. Officials can be removed from their activity for a period of two to three years, and a fine from 80 to 200 thousand rubles can be also imposed on them.
The power engineers draw the attention of residents of the region to the fact that energy theft is one of the main causes of voltage surges and power outages, and thus violates the rights of bona fide consumers. You can report facts of electricity theft, illegal connection to electricity grids by the round-the-clock telephone of the Contact Centre: 8-800-50-50-115 (the call is anonymous and toll-free).
