Hotline of power engineering specialists:
Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region (the brands of IDGC of Centre, PJSC and IDGC of Centre and Volga Region, PJSC) summed up the results of measures to curb non-metered and non-contracted electricity consumption for 2019. In the course of large-scale raid work carried out by personnel of Distribution Zones and electricity metering departments of the companies’ branches, including jointly with specialists from the security unit and law enforcement agencies, in the regions of responsibility of Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region (20 constituent entities of the Russian Federation), 13,099 facts of illegal consumption of electric energy were revealed. The damage caused to the companies amounted to 919.02 million rubles.
The power engineers took measures to compensate for the damage caused to the companies. On the facts of illegal consumption of electricity, the law enforcement agencies initiated 22 criminal and 4,325 administrative cases, 5 people were brought to criminal, 1,931 people - to administrative responsibility. Two were convicted by a court verdict. The energy companies reimbursed 478.4 million rubles.
In addition, according to the results of Internet monitoring and due to reports from citizens about the dissemination of information that violates the law on methods of theft of electricity, in 2019 specialists of the security unit of Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region identified 495 network resources calling for the purchase of gadgets and devices for distortion of readings of electricity meters. 149 complaints about recorded illegal actions were sent to the supervisory authorities - the Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, the prosecutor’s office and Roskomnadzor. Based on the results of their consideration and on the basis of court decisions, 414 web sites advertising such devices were blocked.
Rosseti Centre and Rosseti Centre and Volga Region remind 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.
It should be noted that conscientious consumers, who regularly pay electricity bills, also suffer from the criminal actions of energy investors. As a result of theft of energy resources, voltage drops occur in the grid, household appliances of neighbours break down, and the likelihood of power outages and fires increases.
Power engineers urge anyone who becomes aware of cases of theft of electricity, illegal connections to electricity grids to report this by the round-the-clock telephone of the Contact Centre: 8-800-50-50-115 (anonymous and toll-free call) or through an anonymous feedback form on official sites of the companies.
