Electricity theft: how to deal with electricity theft

Theft of electricity in an apartment building

There are many ways to steal electricity. Knowing them by sight and having a clear understanding of the nuances of their implementation, you can clearly imagine how to detect the theft of electricity.

The main “schemes” that allow unscrupulous owners to significantly reduce costs or not pay for electricity at all include:

The neutral wire from the circuit in which the electric meter is included is functionally replaced by grounded building structures, such as plumbing, fittings, etc.
Installation of a separate line connected to a branch in front of the meter, in order to exclude it from the circuit.
Replacement of “zero” and “phase” in front of the meter, which makes the meter work “in the opposite direction.”
The use of all kinds of devices and instruments in order to make the meter, again, work “in the opposite direction.”
The use of high-power magnets to act on the meter mechanism to slow down or completely stop metering electricity.
Mechanical impacts, especially relevant for disk counters that are still used in some places. For example, in the body of the device, in an inconspicuous place, at the level of the rotating disk, an inconspicuous hole is drilled into which a match is inserted, slowing down or stopping the operation of the counting device.

Operation Impulse.

Basically, unscrupulous consumers are pushed to steal electricity by: low level of income, constant increase in tariff coupled with high energy consumption, misuse of the resource. But there are also individuals for whom such manipulations are a way of self-affirmation in the eyes of friends and themselves.

Housekeepers

In regions with lower consumption, thefts are stolen (and thefts are detected) in correspondingly smaller volumes: for example, in the first half of 2021. specialists from Kubanenergo identified unaccounted electricity consumption in the amount of more than 99 million rubles, Dalenergosbyt (Primorsky Territory) - 60 million rubles, Lipetskenergo - 33 million rubles.

Important: During a visual inspection, special attention should be paid to the presence in the house of such auxiliary electrical equipment as step-down transformers, pull-up rods with hooks (for rural areas) and unaccounted for grounding lines. I referred to Article 25, and they told me that I had let them in myself. Sorry, I let one in, but three came in? Added at 21:36 Further events grew progressively. They destroyed the entire meter, pulled out all the wires from it, and to my question, who will repair it, they answered - you))) They found the twist, began to draw up a report, presented compelling arguments, we came over the course of several days and measured the electricity consumption at the inputs.

It is extremely simple, you need to connect the meter and bypass the third grounding conductor. Or take a zero from a metal object buried in the ground, such as a crowbar, pipe, fittings. If connected correctly, the meter will stop working, thereby not keeping any electricity records.

More to read —> Sber bank returns money mmm

Electricity theft: detection, liability, fines

presence of discrepancy between load consumption and electric meter readings using current clamps or a multimeter;
checking the correct connections according to the electrical diagram of the metering device;
monitoring of loads connected to public lines to ensure the absence of unauthorized consumers;
visual inspection of the meter contacts for the presence of bypass jumpers or changes in the order of connecting the phase and neutral conductors, as well as artificial braking of the disk of a mechanical device.

This method allows you to bypass all types of metering devices. The main thing here is to disguise everything or make it invisible to the eye from unauthorized connections to the electrical cable or wires to which the electricity meters are connected; in apartment buildings, between the floors there is a large-section 380-volt main line, from which branches are made to each meter.

Theft of electricity in SNT

To answer the question of how to combat the theft of electricity in SNT, it is necessary to clarify the main features of electricity consumption in gardening non-profit partnerships.

The owner of the site is at the same time the owner of the electrical networks passing through its territory. This greatly facilitates his own access to distribution devices and lines to metering devices, but, as a result, makes it difficult for regulatory authorities to access them. Therefore, the access of the energy supply company’s controller to the owner’s metering devices is negotiated separately in the electricity supply agreement. Failure to provide access may result in a power outage.

But how can a representative of a gardening association check the electricity meter for theft? If special measures are not defined in the charter of the partnership, then it is very difficult to carry out an inspection, which is what dishonest gardeners take advantage of.

Neighbors have to pay for unscrupulous owners, since unaccounted-for electricity, the so-called “imbalance,” has to be distributed to all owners in order to cover the difference between the electricity recorded by the meter of the energy supply organization on the line going towards the partnership, and the amount of expenses under local metering.

The main energy-consuming load in the village is electric heating and electricity consumption during repair and construction work (welding, concrete mixer, etc.). The methods of theft are the same as in apartment buildings, but especially “throwing” current collector rods with hooks onto the overhead line in front of the meter is common.

Is your neighbor stealing electricity? Let him read this article

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It is impossible to imagine our existence without electricity: lighting, laptops, tablets, TVs, kitchen appliances - all these electrical appliances are firmly established in every home. Like everything in our lives, you have to pay for comfort and convenience.

However, some want to save money and decide to connect electrical energy without accounting. All methods of electricity theft are quickly and easily identified by specialists using search patterns and special devices. However, citizens, relying on the eternal “maybe”, do not take into account the degree of responsibility provided for theft. In this case, it is worth recalling that often the amount of calculated damage exceeds the cost of stolen electricity many times over.

Over the 8 months of this year, the staff of the Borisov Electric Networks branch conducted 485 raids to identify facts of theft of electrical energy; 546 acts were drawn up for 721,300.63 rubles, of which 375 acts were drawn up for household subscribers for 105,462.96 rubles.

For what and how the amount of damage is calculated, we learned from the specialists of the department for operation and maintenance of accounting means of the Borisov Electric Networks branch.

— What electricity consumption is considered unmetered?

— This is the consumption of electrical energy in violation of the requirements established by the electricity supply contract and (or) legislation for the organization of settlement accounting of electrical energy on the part of the subscriber, which led to distortion of data on the actual volume of electrical energy consumption. In this case, interference in the operation of the electrical energy metering device is considered to be:

damage to the electrical energy metering device, the electrical energy metering wiring,

failure (damage) of the seal(s) on the electrical energy metering device, switching device or terminal block installed in the electrical energy metering circuit,

the use of devices and devices that distort the readings of the electrical energy metering device.

— What kind of power consumption can be classified as unauthorized?

- Unauthorized, i.e. non-contractual consumption of electrical energy is when the consumer violates the procedure established by law for connecting power supply facilities and electrical installations of citizens to electrical networks. This includes connecting an electrical receiver, other electrical equipment, device or device to the electrical network before using a means of calculating electrical energy metering. Or the installation of electrical wiring that is not provided for by the approved design documentation, as well as in a number of other cases when the consumer acted (or, on the contrary, did not act), and this led to unauthorized (non-contractual) consumption of electrical energy.

— How are payments for electricity carried out in case of unmetered or unauthorized consumption?

— In accordance with the Electricity Supply Rules, in case of unaccounted, unauthorized consumption of electrical energy, the energy supply organization draws up an act in the presence of a citizen (subscriber) or an adult member of his family. If a person refuses to sign for receipt of the act, a corresponding note is made in the document. The act is drawn up in two copies, one of which is handed over signature (or sent by registered mail) to the citizen (subscriber) to pay the amount of damage, and the second is stored in the energy supply organization.

Next, the energy supplying organization recalculates for previous billing periods. The beginning of its countdown is considered to be the date of the last reliable reading and registration of the calculation meter readings by a representative of the energy supplying organization or the day of its previous inspection (unless another shorter period is documented). And the end of the period is the date of drawing up the act. In this case, the specialist acts in accordance with the procedure determined by the Ministry of Energy, and the calculation is carried out according to the tariffs in force at the time of drawing up the act. This procedure ensures full reimbursement by the citizen (subscriber) of economically justified costs for the provision of electricity services.

— What if a malfunction is detected in the operation of the electrical energy metering device, which was not the fault of the subscriber? How is electricity billed in such cases?

— In accordance with paragraph 215 of the Electricity Supply Rules, in the event of a violation in the operation of the settlement meter through no fault of the subscriber (citizen), the energy supply organization draws up a corresponding act in the presence of the subscriber (citizen). Next, the energy supplying organization makes a recalculation for previous billing periods (starting from the date of the last reliable reading and registration by a representative of the energy supplying organization of the calculation meter readings or from the date of the previous inspection of the calculation metering device, unless another shorter period is documented, until the date of drawing up the report) in the manner determined by the Ministry of Energy, according to the subsidized tariffs in force at the time of drawing up the act for the population, unless otherwise provided by law. From the date of drawing up the act until the elimination of the violation in the operation of the settlement metering device through no fault of the subscriber (citizen), the payment for consumed electrical energy for the subscriber (citizen) is calculated based on the average daily consumption of electrical energy for the billing period after the elimination of the violation in the operation of the settlement metering device not due to the fault of the subscriber (citizen) at tariffs established in accordance with the law (at subsidized tariffs for the population, unless otherwise provided by law).

— What liability is provided for unmetered, unauthorized electricity consumption??

— I would like to immediately note that the principle of “inevitability of punishment” is implemented by the Borisov Electric Networks branch 100%. This is facilitated by systematic work to detect facts of theft of electrical energy based on the compilation of feeder balances of electrical energy. In each area of electrical networks, specialized teams have been created to identify facts of theft of electrical energy, which have transport, communications, the necessary instruments and devices, as well as photo and video cameras to record facts of energy theft.

After a preliminary warning to the subscriber (written, by telephone message or in another way provided for by the electricity supply contract), the energy supplying organization has the right to stop supplying electrical energy to its electrical installations in whole or in part to electrical equipment in the following cases: supplying electricity without organizing settlement metering, or unauthorized (non-contractual) or unmetered consumption electrical energy.

Also, the energy supplying organization has the right, in the manner specified in part one of paragraph 227 of the Electricity Supply Rules, to oblige the subscriber to remove the input device with the means of calculation of electricity metering beyond (to) the border of the land plot owned (lifelong inheritable possession, use, lease) by a citizen, (and this is about 1000 rubles!) or install a split meter in the following cases:

failure to provide access to the electrical network, electrical installations and settlement metering means within two billing periods (months) upon presentation of an official ID of an authorized representative of the energy supply organization to monitor compliance with the requirements of these Rules, the terms of the electricity supply contract, taking readings from the settlement metering means, as well as for suspension provision of electricity services in case of non-payment;
unmetered consumption of electrical energy;
unauthorized (non-contractual) consumption of electrical energy;
unauthorized replacement of a means of accounting;
transfer in accordance with the established procedure of a one-apartment residential building (residential premises in such a house, residential premises in a blocked residential building) into non-residential (non-residential).

If the subscriber fails to comply with the requirements of the energy supply organization within the time period established in the order to remove the input device with the means of settlement accounting or install a split meter, the energy supply organization draws up an act on the basis of which the provision of electricity supply services to the citizen is suspended.

It is important to know that liability for unauthorized connection of electrical energy receivers, or unaccounted consumption of such energy, or damage to calculated flow metering devices or violation of their connection diagrams, as well as other violations of power supply rules in the form of a fine of 5 times the amount of damage caused, is provided for in Art. 20.10 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offences.

All accrued amounts for damage caused to the energy supply organization when a household consumer evades voluntary payment will be recovered through the court.

From the above, the conclusion suggests itself about the pointlessness of unaccounted for, unauthorized consumption of electrical energy, when comparing the benefits and the amount of damage, that is, in other words, to steal - to get into trouble! To prevent such cases, we remind you of the need for citizens to strictly comply with the current legislation in the field of electricity supply and their obligations under electricity supply contracts!

— Where can you go if you suspect electricity theft?

— Any suggestions, comments or suspicions of electricity theft can be voiced by concerned citizens by calling the Borisov Electric Networks Trust 73-67-33.

Information service "A"

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Penalty for electricity theft in 2021

Measures taken against electricity theft in 2021 involve a system of fines and even criminal liability.

Unauthorized connection to energy networks, oil pipelines, oil product pipelines and gas pipelines, as well as unauthorized (unaccounted for) use of electrical, thermal energy, oil, gas or oil products - entails the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of three thousand to four thousand rubles;
for officials - from six thousand to eight thousand rubles; for legal entities - from sixty thousand to eighty thousand rubles. Article 7.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation

If material damage is caused on an especially large scale, criminal liability may be brought in accordance with Article 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Causing property damage to the owner or other owner of property by deception or abuse of trust in the absence of signs of theft, committed on a large scale, is punishable by a fine in the amount of up to three hundred thousand rubles or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to two years, or by forced labor. for a term of up to two years with or without restriction of freedom for a term of up to one year, or imprisonment for a term of up to two years with a fine in the amount of up to eighty thousand rubles or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to six months. and with or without restriction of freedom for up to one year.
Article 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

What should you do if your electricity bill suddenly becomes significantly higher? At the same time, the tenant did not use any additional electrical appliances, but the meter confidently shows double consumption. The story of the Soligorsk woman was told by Electronic Soligorsk.

— I am a pensioner, I live alone. Gas stove. Electrical appliances include a refrigerator (the children gave it to me and said it was energy-saving), TV, which I rarely watch. And an iron, which I rarely use either. I go to bed early. That's why I don't turn on much light. I’m used to the fact that the cost of electricity is small. But one day, when I was once again going to pay “for light,” the amount came out to be much more. Once or twice, I thought that I had made a mistake in the readings. Maybe I didn't see something.

My daughter came to me and took a look. Everything matches. But how could I “wind up” so much? My daughter said maybe it's all about the incandescent light bulbs. And she screwed me in with new, energy-saving ones. But what about light bulbs? I used them before, and the counter showed less. The next month, history repeated itself. High electricity bill. And this despite the fact that the light bulbs are energy-saving. I called a specialist. He came and checked. And he said that my neighbors on the site had connected to my meter (we have an old house, electricity meters are located on the staircase). Showed wiring that shouldn't have been there. He also clarified that only former prisoners can do this. And the neighbor had just returned from prison. The master fixed everything. And he said that no one else would connect. The next month the bill was much lower. And even now, since light bulbs turned out to be truly energy-saving, the cost of light is a small amount.

They also told me that I could go to court. And then they can collect from this neighbor, but I did not do this. The age is not the same, and what can we take from it? This story happened when we had old meters, but now new ones have been installed. Therefore, I would like to know whether careless neighbors can connect to them like this?

The comment was given by a representative of the Soligorsk interdistrict branch of the Energosbyt branch of RUE Minskenergo:

— It’s worth noting that a meter is just a device for metering electricity consumption, and attackers connect to the network. It doesn’t matter whether you have an induction meter or an electronic one. It does not analyze how many apartments are connected to the network. In the case of the Soligorsk woman, this problem might not have arisen if the shields on the balance sheet of the State Unitary Enterprise “Housing and Communal Services “Complex” had been locked. A window is enough to take readings. And the master would have the key. Residents have nothing to do with the meters,” the interlocutor noted.

How to punish careless neighbors and return stolen property?

Returning stolen property is quite problematic. After all, it is difficult to prove that the neighbor himself connected when public access to the meters is open. A neighbor may say that he had no idea that he was using “not his” electricity. And the neighbor from above connected it to create a quarrel. It is also difficult to determine how many kilowatts a neighbor stole.

But if you don’t want to leave the attacker unpunished, you can write a statement to the service company. When a specialist arrives to verify the theft, you should draw up a report and photograph the evidence in the presence of witnesses. You can also collect their signatures (it’s not a fact that it will work, but it’s better to be safe). And then go to court.

How to detect electricity theft

To understand how to detect the theft of electricity, you need to start from the fact that the theft of electricity can be determined by direct and indirect evidence. Direct evidence can be instant control in comparison with real facts, while indirect evidence can be an imbalance in the electricity readings of the general meter and the summed readings of all individual consumers.

Electricity theft detection methods

Measures taken against the theft of electricity are inextricably linked with determining the fact of theft of electricity and suppressing it. Given the variety of methods that dishonest consumers use to steal electricity, methods for detecting electricity theft can be divided into analytical and practical. Analytical (indirect) methods include the following:

Systematic reconciliation of the readings of general meters by directions, groups of consumers and loads with the total of individual consumers;
Identification of low readings that are almost the same from month to month - perhaps the consumer is stealing electricity, knowingly determining for himself the amount that he will pay;
When using the technology of remote collection of ASKUE readings, it is possible to identify discrepancies between the quantitative characteristics of the load and external factors. For example, there is no electricity consumption according to the meter, and the owner’s site is intensively illuminated.
Identification of discrepancies between the load being tested using current collectors or a multimeter and external factors. For example, current clamps record a large load, but the meter readings do not change.

Practical methods include:

Checking the connection diagram of metering devices;
Load control on common house lines and public lines - unauthorized connection of dishonest consumers to them is possible with a corresponding sharp increase in load;
Visual inspection of metering devices and lines suitable for them to eliminate bypass power supply lines, mutual replacement of phase wires with neutral wires and mechanical braking or stopping of metering devices;
When visually inspecting the consumer’s premises, pay attention to the presence of large electrical equipment, transformers, throw-on rods with hooks for throwing on overhead lines, additional grounding lines, as well as the condition of the sockets (when connecting the ground to the neutral wiring through the socket, one of the holes is larger than the other).

The listed measures will help to identify and prove the theft of electricity in general.

Methods for detecting electricity theft using ASKUE

Considering that in Russia electricity is purchased not as a product, but as a service, its theft is not directly considered a criminal offense. The theft of electricity, no matter how depressing it is for those who pay for the offenses of others, is still included in the category of administrative offenses. And it is very difficult to prove this theft so that the fine for theft of electricity becomes a real deterrent.

The turning point in this confusing issue was the use of automated systems for commercial electricity metering - ASKUE, with the help of which, to the question of how to prove the theft of electricity, it became possible to provide not one, but several adequate answers at once.

ASKUE provides, first of all, unlimited possibilities for monitoring the balance of received and consumed electricity. Add to this the possibility of remote access to data and automation of information collection, and you get the notorious three pillars on which the solution to problems associated with the theft of electricity is based.

The use of external remote power sensors, complete with meters equipped with built-in radio modules, installed at the very beginning of the line extending towards the consumer, allows you to compare the power readings of the meter and directly in the line.

As a result, to accurately monitor electricity consumption, you need to log into your personal account on the website, click on two buttons and compare the readings. If the meter shows less power consumption compared to data from an external sensor, then it is clear that electricity is being stolen.

The use of such a system solves the issue of access to the owner’s territory - it is simply not needed. All data can be obtained remotely. In this case, the owner himself bears responsibility for the safety of the equipment installed on the territory.

The counters will be x-rayed

Since the beginning of the year alone, in the south of Russia, energy workers have identified over 153 million kilowatt-hours of unaccounted-for electricity consumption. For comparison, this is how much electricity the entire Rostov region consumes in one week. The record holder for electricity theft was the Astrakhan region - 43 million kilowatt-hours.

Unscrupulous citizens use both magnets and throws in the old fashioned way, but this is all revealed very quickly. Damage to the magnetic seal or an imbalance in the network will show where the kilowatts are leaking. But sometimes electricity is stolen on an industrial scale. So, in Novocherkassk, an entrepreneur was not lazy and installed a high-quality, but illegal connection to an underground cable line. In the Volgograd region, a surge was discovered on an overhead power line leading to a house. Local “Kulibins” connected to the phase, and the neutral wire was drawn from the ground directly in their garden. It was only thanks to a lucky coincidence that neither the offenders nor their children suffered from electric shock.

Wanting to reduce payments, defaulters alter electricity meters and make various changes there. It is difficult to detect such “bugs”. However, in the Astrakhan region, power engineers recently purchased an X-ray television installation that allows you to view the internal contents of the electric meter without opening the casing or packaging. By the way, such devices are used by security services when inspecting luggage at airports and railway stations.

Wanting to reduce payments, defaulters alter electricity meters and make various changes to them

Such a device costs more than 700 thousand rubles, but power engineers are sure that “the game is worth the candle.” Until recently, identifying meters with built-in chips for theft was a difficult process. Specialists had to install control metering devices and conduct examinations of electric meters at the manufacturing plant. Now, with the help of an X-ray television installation, the fact of interference in the internal circuit can be determined in a matter of minutes. Energy workers have already carried out about four thousand inspections and identified 16 electricity meters with traces of tampering. In addition, during inspections, about 30 thousand anti-magnetic seals were installed on the electricity meters of Astrakhan residents.

However, residents of the Astrakhan region should not be accused of total theft, since they often become victims of unscrupulous companies that independently initiate the replacement of metering devices among the population. Without having the authority, they remove control seals, and the electricity consumer, at the first check, becomes a kilowatt thief. And all meter readings, even if a person regularly paid for electricity, will immediately be added to the non-accounting and he will have to compensate the damage to the energy sales company. Moreover, it is very difficult for the victim to hold the company accountable, since the documents are drawn up in such a way that all responsibility falls on the owner of the electric meter. More than 200 people became victims of such a scheme in Astrakhan alone.

Combating electricity theft

Knowing how to detect facts of electricity theft in apartment buildings and gardening communities, it becomes easier to imagine what measures should be taken to combat theft.

Methods to combat electricity theft

An effective fight against electricity theft is based on two main components: systematic control and timely detection of thefts. Let's look at the simplest ways to combat theft.

Regular bypass of the route, allowing for visual inspection of connections and meter readings. However, the involvement of linemen is fraught with the human factor - the employee may not notice the bypass additional line or mistakenly underestimate the electricity consumption readings when removing. These risks can be eliminated using remote meter reading systems.
Sealing of meters with conventional or magnetic seals. Unfortunately, practice shows that this technique can be smashed to smithereens just like the counter itself. The owner breaks the meter with all its seals, consumes electricity in unlimited quantities until the inspector arrives, and then claims that until the last moment everything was fine with the meter. When monitoring power directly at the input with a data archive, such manipulations with the counter become useless.
Monitoring the meter connection diagram for phase-to-zero compliance at the input, as well as searching for powerful transformers and other devices that force the meter to count “in the other direction.” However, with the possibility of instant metering of power consumption, coupled with its active and reactive components, direct control becomes unnecessary.

Combating electricity theft using ASKUE

The energy efficiency of remote readings collection technology is determined by several basic components, namely the presence of a sufficiently large range, the cheapest possible dispatch, ease of building a network architecture with the ability to easily connect new devices and, of course, reliability and noise immunity.

Meters with a built-in radio module will accurately and timely transmit data from each electricity metering point. And if you have old-style meters, it is possible to install an external modem that will transmit readings directly to the base station - without wires or hubs. Using a convenient interface, the management company will be able to monitor readings for each metering point and for the connection as a whole.

The question of how to prove the theft of electricity disappears by itself due to the presence of a database that reflects the volumes of electricity consumed both as a whole for the connection and separately for each consumer. If necessary, you can use data from external sensors installed on branches to consumers.

The cornerstone in the fight against thefts of public and private energy resources is that when using ASKUE it is possible to completely transparently determine what volume of electricity was received from the network to supply power to an apartment building or gardening partnership, and to what areas or owners it was distributed.

Thanks to the automation of readings collection, there is no possibility of under-metering of electricity or hiding part of the consumed power by preventing the owner of the management company from accessing the meter.

Obviousness of known methods of electricity theft

There are cases when in apartment buildings two sockets are installed coaxially in the space between apartment walls. One is directed and powered to apartment A, the other to apartment B. An enterprising swindler from apartment B dismantles the body of his socket and throws the thieves’ wires onto socket A. Result: your swindler neighbor uses electricity at your expense, and you don’t even know about it. Sometimes a foreign phase can be taken from the basement energy input distribution device (IDU). They also put wires on the busbars or terminals of the ASU, drag the cable into their apartment and use it. There are cases where the cable is powered from public lighting networks. The only differences are in the connection point.

Interfering with the operation of the meter.

The only reason people adjust their meter is to reduce their electricity and water bills. This action is especially relevant due to the constant increase in prices per kilowatt of electricity and cubic meter of water. At the same time, each time users come up with more and more new ways to deceive utility services and reduce the amount of money to be paid.

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A power supply device that uses a capacitor instead of a transformer is cheaper and requires smaller dimensions to be placed in the meter. However, there are two serious limitations that need to be taken into account:

External changes include: replacing phase-neutral connections, completely disconnecting the neutral wire, ensuring that the current flows through the ground and not through the neutral, disconnecting one of the phase wires from the electric meter.

Common methods of stealing electricity

A smart electric meter includes a microcontroller and current and voltage measurement sensors, bidirectional and wireless communication systems, reporting and fault detection functions, as well as various methods for detecting energy theft and preventing falsification of metering results.

Ordinary citizens are not at all required to understand the structure of electric meters and wiring. For this purpose, there are special bodies that should be held accountable without involving consumers. But not all cities have this. Therefore, if you suspect theft from neighbors, call specialists for an examination. They will solve your problem instantly.

Theft of electricity is a very common phenomenon, so every second law-abiding citizen has an interest in being able to identify a thief. Of course, electricity is not a potato and after its theft there is no evidence left at all. By disconnecting from the network, your neighbor instantly erases all traces.

How do you know if your electricity is being stolen?

Be sure to purchase a multimeter equipped with a ring sensor. This way, you can measure the degree of magnetic field strength on the input cables. If the meter does not move, then your neighbor is definitely stealing, and you can expose him in a lie.

Many electricians claim (in my experience this was not the case). People steal not only electricity, but also other resources provided by the state, such as gas. By installing various elements on metering devices.