What to do if neighbors steal electricity?

How to find out about theft?

Unauthorized consumption of energy resources is quite common today. Moreover, it is noted that cases of electricity theft by neighbors in apartment buildings have increased. This is due to the fact that all meters are placed on the landing and all residents have access to them.

Attention! If you have any questions, you can chat for free with a lawyer at the bottom of the screen or call Moscow; Saint Petersburg; Free call for all of Russia.

For your information

Now you can check the correctness of the electrical connection yourself. If residents notice an incorrect connection of wires, which is revealed by visual comparison of meters, then they can immediately contact the relevant authorities to resolve the issue.

Neighbors steal electricity: algorithm of actions, nuances

Neighbors steal electricity in order to save their own money or in a situation where they are cut off from using this service.

How to obtain information about the theft of electricity

Currently, cases of electricity theft have become more frequent. The reason for this is that metering devices are located on staircase landings. Any citizen has the opportunity to freely access the shield.

The citizen has the opportunity to independently check the correctness of the connection to the electricity network. If residents note that the wires are connected incorrectly, they need to contact the relevant authorities to resolve the issue. The fact that something is wrong can be determined by simply inspecting the networks.

How to determine whether neighbors are stealing electricity is not stipulated in law. Therefore, if you don’t succeed on your own, you can resort to the help of an electrician.

He uses the following techniques in his work:

the use of special instruments to establish consumed volumes and compare real readings with those reflected on the meter;
comparison of readings from a general meter and an individual one;
detection of devices used to stop resource consumption counting;
recording changes in the established sealing;
finds out whether limits were set for the violator’s electricity consumption. In such a situation, the monthly consumption rate is expressed in the same value;
collecting readings remotely to determine the discrepancy between the load on the network and the actual consumption;
Conducting a visual inspection, which allows you to identify the connection of foreign devices.

If a violation is discovered, you will need to visit the authorized authorities.

Where to file a complaint in case of electricity theft

Before deciding where to file a complaint about illegal connection to electrical networks, you need to record this fact. Otherwise, the charges will be unfounded, as a result of which administrative sanctions . If it is possible to prove the fact of theft, punishment will be applied to the neighbors.

Next, an act of theft of electricity is formed. Government Decree No. 442 of 2012 “On the functioning of retail markets in electrical networks...” indicates that several organizations have the right to draw up this document.

How to establish the fact of electricity theft?

If neighbors are stealing electricity, and there is no information about who exactly is doing this, then you need to turn to an electrician for help. It will do its job using the following methods:

Using special instruments, it will establish the consumed energy volumes and compare the real readings with those reflected on the digital block of the meter.
It will compare the readings of the general meter and individual devices.
It will detect devices that are directed by neighbors to stop counting the electricity consumed, and will also record a change in the installed seal.
Finds out whether the violator has set a limit on electricity consumption. In this case, its consumption will be the same for each month.
Readings are collected remotely in order to identify discrepancies between network loads and actual electricity consumption.
Uses current clamps to determine energy consumption even if the devices are running and the meter refuses to record consumption.
Conduct a visual inspection, which will reveal the connection of grounding elements through the socket. One of its holes in this case will be larger than the other.

What to do if neighbors steal electricity

Recently, the theft of electricity has been gaining serious momentum, as a rule, this occurs in apartments and in the private sector. You will have to answer for any theft, the question is different: what to do if your neighbors steal electricity, where to go, what needs to be done, and how to understand it. In this article we will tell you what to do and how to determine the fact of theft.

How to detect electricity theft

Every person who understands even a little about electricity knows what electrical wiring is and how the meter counts. Initially, you must understand if theft is a fact, without it you should not throw accusations, because you can seriously ruin your relationship with your neighbors.

When we are sure that our neighbors are stealing electricity, we begin to take action. In the meantime, let’s look at what methods exist to determine the fact of theft:

Pay attention to the counter. Look, all the wires from it should go only to your apartment; if you notice that one wire goes in a completely different direction, it means your neighbors are stealing your electricity. But, remember, the wire can also go into your apartment, which means it needs to be removed as quickly as possible, and you may face a serious fine.
Turn off the machine or RCD. After disconnecting, we look at which sockets have voltage, check all the lamps and switches. If there is power, then you are experiencing electricity theft. Such cases happen in panel houses, because previously all sockets were installed in a through hole and a neighbor could easily connect to them. If you have any suspicions that your neighbors are stealing electricity, take this simple action.
We turn off all the appliances in the house and see if the meter is moving or not. If this happens, it means that electricity is being stolen. Call an electrician immediately, he must find all the sources and punish the thieves.
In a private sector, it is very easy to detect theft, because neighbors in such a situation will connect directly, such a connection is difficult not to notice.

Neighbors are stealing electricity, where can I turn for help?

If you are sure that someone is stealing your electricity, try first talking to your neighbors. After all, it is difficult to establish the fact of theft; for example, the owners can point to the previous owners and simply say “we don’t know anything and haven’t seen anything.”

It is possible that you will be accused, the wires come off the meter in your house, so completely innocent people can receive a fine.

If there are no ways to talk or the neighbor does not make contact, and the theft of electricity continues, follow these steps:

Contact energy sales.
Write a statement to the management company of your home, they should check everything.
During the inspection, find witnesses so that they can see everything and sign the theft report. Otherwise, you won't be able to prove anything.

By the way, special authorities establish the fact of electricity theft using a special device called “Stork”; it is impossible to bypass it. Also read: laying wiring in pipes.

If you asked for help, but no measures were taken. Write to the court or the prosecutor, they will force the relevant authorities to do a normal check and establish the fact of theft at the legislative level.

What will be the punishment for stealing electricity?

If the fact of theft is established, the fine is calculated as follows:

Phys. Persons – 4-5 thousand rubles.
Legal Persons – 60-80 thousand.

Plus, the person will be required to pay the entire amount of the theft. If it exceeds 250 thousand rubles, there is already a risk of criminal liability.

Source: https://vse-elektrichestvo.ru/poleznye-sovety/xitrosti-elektrika/chto-delat-esli-sosedi-voruyut-elektrichestvo.html

When can you complain about your neighbor?

Attention
To submit an application to the relevant authorities, you must first establish the fact of theft of electricity by your neighbors. Otherwise, all accusations will be unfounded, for which the applicant may be subject to administrative penalties in the form of fines. If there is evidence to file an application, then punitive measures will be taken against the neighbors.

After this, you can draw up a report of theft of electricity. According to the Russian Federation Regulations dated May 4, 2012 No. 442, it is compiled in an energy sales office located at the place of residence, or in a network organization.

The procedure for submitting an application to these structures is extremely simple. The applicant will need to submit a statement about unauthorized consumption of energy resources by neighbors. After this, the organization will send an inspection to confirm and record violations. All data is noted on the spot and entered into the so-called act, which has legal force. It is this document that serves as evidence of offenses and allows for legal proceedings against the accused neighbor.

How to prove and what evidence is needed?

Before organizing a trial, you need to know what may be required during it and what is 100% likely to serve as evidence.

Meter readings are evidence of electricity theft by neighbors. Moreover, you need to record the latest ones, since a neighbor can turn on powerful devices bypassing the meter only periodically. In other words, he can do this when the testimony has already been written off and submitted for consideration.

Also, when submitting an application, if you do not have access to your neighbor’s meter, but you are sure that it is he who is stealing electricity, you must describe all your assumptions about how exactly he can steal electricity and what he can use for this. If there is no such data, then it is necessary to indicate whether the fact of the theft of electricity directly affects the supply of light to the apartment of the applicant himself. If there are power outages, flickering lights, or the presence of current in the outlet even when the transformers are turned off, then all this should be recorded in the application. This will be enough for the energy company to send an inspection to the specified address.

For your information

If there is evidence of a broken seal or a photograph of a changed connection of wires to the meter, then no further evidence will be required.

Theft of electricity will be fined 30,000 rubles

Since June 9, fines for unauthorized connection to electrical and heating networks and for using resources past the meter have doubled. If the violation is found again, the individual will have to pay 30 thousand rubles, the company - up to 300 thousand rubles.

Who does this concern?

Fines are imposed on those who connect to power grids without permission, that is, without permission. And to those who somehow managed to use electricity, gas and heat without a meter. There are many ways to do both. They are used in the private sector, apartment buildings, large enterprises and private workshops.

Check the connection of the meter to the network, as well as the integrity of the seals. If you see that, for example, there are extra wires going to the meter in the apartment, or the electrical wiring bypasses the electricity meter, or the phase and zero are swapped, it means that the neighbors are stealing electricity. The correct diagram for connecting a single-phase meter to the electrical network is as follows:
Check if the light works when the circuit breakers in the panel are turned off. If possible, try turning off the machines and then checking the voltage in all sockets, and also turning on all the lamps. If a light comes on in some room or it turns out that there is power in the outlet, then electricity is being stolen, maybe even from you. The fact is that in old panel houses in adjacent rooms, sockets were installed between apartments in a through hole. A sneaky neighbor could tap into your outlet and steal electricity that you would pay for. That's it. Therefore, if you think that your neighbor on the floor is stealing your electricity, you definitely need to inspect the electrical wiring: check all distribution boxes and sockets so that they do not have unnecessary connections.
Check the condition of the heating batteries. A very popular way to unwind the meter is grounding through the battery risers. In this case, this will not be reflected in the readings of your electric meter, but a more serious threat will arise - the possibility of electric shock. If there is an electric shock in your bathroom, most likely the electricity is being drained from the floor above or below. If possible, you should check the condition of the batteries of these neighbors. To be grounded to the riser, you must definitely strip the paint from it down to the metal. Now, if you find such a place, most likely they steal electricity through it. You can also use an indicator screwdriver to check if there is voltage on your battery to make sure there is a problem.
In the private sector, they very often use this method of stealing from the state, such as throwing on wires. It looks like the photo below, so it won’t be difficult to determine theft:
Another way to calculate is to unplug all electrical appliances in the house and also turn off the lights. If the meter starts to fluctuate, it means something is wrong and you need to call an electrician to find the problem.

How to independently determine the theft of electricity in an apartment?

You can independently determine that your neighbors are stealing electricity from your apartment in the following ways:

Check the meter seals ; if they are broken, and there are wires connected to the meter that should not be there, then neighbors are stealing electricity. Sometimes the electrical wiring can be bypassed by the meter, or the phase and zero can be swapped. These are good reasons to apply.
Find out if there is current when the circuit breakers are turned off on the electrical panel. This method is in most cases the simplest.
To test, flip the circuit breaker switches to the off position and check all outlets for current. A mobile phone with a charger is perfect here. It is also necessary to activate all the switches, and if the light appears even when the machines are turned off, then the neighbors are really forcing you to make payments instead of themselves. It is worth noting that in panel houses there is a direct connection to electricity, which means a neighbor can connect not only to the meter, but also to the distribution box, so it is also necessary to check it for the presence of extra wires.
The method of checking through heating batteries is not some kind of joke, but a completely working method. In this way, neighbors skillfully hide the fact of electricity theft. They steal electricity, but due to the fact that they are grounded through the batteries, it will not be possible to find out this from the meter. Because his testimony remains unchanged. Such tricks can lead to extreme consequences - electric shock if the batteries are touched. You can check whether current is flowing to your batteries or not, absolutely safely using an indicator screwdriver. You need to touch the battery with its tip (but hold it strictly by the handle) and if there is voltage on the battery, the light on the screwdriver will light up.
Unscrupulous citizens can transfer wires from their meter to their neighbor's meter. To check this suspicion, you will need to unplug all electrical appliances and turn off the lamps. The assumptions will be correct if the counter continues to count. It is important that the neighbor is at home and using electrical appliances. In this case, you won’t have to wait long for confirmation or denial of the theft.

Evidence of electricity theft

Speaking about what to do at the initial stage after discovering the theft of electricity, you need to point out the need to collect evidence of your position. Meter readings are used as evidence . At the same time, you need to record the most current data, because your neighbor can connect powerful devices immediately after transmitting the readings.

If a citizen does not have evidence of an unauthorized connection, the application must reflect his assumptions about how the theft of electricity occurs.

The following points need to be determined:

the light flickers;
power outages occur;
presence of energy in the outlet even when the transformer is turned off.

Based on the listed facts, the resource supplying organization carries out verification activities. If a citizen has a photograph of wires with an illegal connection or confirmation that the seal was broken, there is no need to collect other evidence.

Self-detection of energy theft

Before you find out that your neighbors are stealing electricity, you need to study the methods that exist in this direction.

These methods include:

checking seals on meters if there is a violation. For example, when extra wires are connected to an appliance, this indicates electricity theft. In some situations, the wiring starts to bypass the meter, or the phase changes places with zero. These circumstances will be valid reasons for filing an application;
obtain information about whether there is current at the electrical panel when the circuit breaker is turned off. Initially, the automatic fuse is turned off by moving it to the “Off” position, then the presence of current in the sockets is checked, for this you can use the phone and its charger.

In panel-type houses, a direct connection is installed, then neighbors can run wires not only to the meters, but also to the distribution box. Therefore, it also needs to be checked for excess wires .

Important! In some situations, neighbors use different tricks to steal electricity. For example, grounding is carried out through batteries. Then it will not be possible to establish the fact of theft through the meter.

This option has negative aspects. They are expressed in the fact that when touching the battery, a citizen can be shocked. You can check the current flow through the radiators using an indicator-type screwdriver. When there is electricity in the equipment, the light on the device lights up.

Theft of electricity in a private home

In a private house, the procedure for conducting electricity is simpler compared to an apartment building. Residents of such houses have access not only to the meter, but also to the input line.

Citizens living in a country house use similar methods as in apartment buildings to steal electricity. In addition, a person can use special wire rods , which remove the current, and it is not counted by the meter. This method may result in a reduction in network power, resulting in damage to the residents of the settlement. With reduced power, devices may operate in emergency mode and fail.

Please note: for this reason, if you discover the theft of electricity, you will need to contact the authorized body with a complaint.

Neighbors steal electricity from a private home

Garden farms are distinguished by the fact that it is much easier to steal electricity there than in an apartment building. This happens because residents of a private house have full access not only to the meter, but also to the input line running to it.

IMPORTANT

The methods of stealing electricity by neighbors in a country house are exactly the same as in multi-apartment buildings. However, a resident of a settlement, especially a small one where the population is represented by several dozen citizens, can throw special rods on the wires. They are difficult to miss, and the principle of operation of such rods is simple: they remove current from the wires, so it is not taken into account by the meter.

It is worth noting that residents may also suffer from this method, because the power in the network will be significantly reduced. And devices with lower power in the network will work in emergency mode and may fail. Therefore, you should file a complaint against neighbors for theft of electricity immediately, since an unscrupulous neighboring citizen has neglected all established rules. Moreover, the voltage in houses further down the line will also be reduced.

Where do they usually steal?

Most cases of electricity theft occur in gardening partnerships. This happens less often in apartment buildings.

Most often, such violations are committed by debtors whose electricity has been turned off for non-payment. In order to use electricity, they restore the supply without permission and continue not to pay their bills.

Theft of electricity in SNT

The problem of unauthorized receipt of electricity worries every owner of a summer cottage, since all other participants in the gardening partnership have to pay for unscrupulous users. This is due to the fact that the contract for the supply of the resource is concluded with SNT, and not with each owner of the country house individually, so a common invoice is issued.

In this case, the meters are usually located inside the site. Owners can use various methods of stealing electricity with impunity and not allow inspectors from the SNT board onto their territory.

List of actions to solve the problem of electricity theft by neighbors

Actions to be taken when detecting electricity theft should be consistently described. To influence your neighbors you need to:

Once you learn about the theft, obtain evidence. They can be photo or video files. They need to be done as a last resort, if the neighbors refuse to make contact and then “cover” their tracks.
To talk to him. However, it all depends on the situation. Some people may simply shift the blame to others. In order not to spoil relations with neighbors, it is recommended to encourage them to dialogue.
If the attempt is unsuccessful, you need, having all the collected evidence, to draw up an application to check the connections at the entrance and send them to the energy sales or management company.
Upon arrival of a worker from the energy company, draw up a report with him.
Next, the act is submitted for consideration to the prosecutor's office or court.

The application itself to the company supplying electricity is drawn up in free form. Meter readings can be provided as evidence in the application form.

Attention

After making a decision, the court must notify the offender of the need to pay fines. If the debt amount is not paid within a month, the supply of electricity to the unscrupulous citizen is stopped. The procedure is carried out on the basis of the Law of the Russian Federation of 06.05.2011 No. 354.

List of actions to solve the problem of electricity theft

After discovering the fact of energy theft, a citizen can use a certain sequence of actions.

The algorithm is as follows:

collect evidence. This can be materials received in the form of video or photo recording. They need to be collected in advance and used only if the neighbors refuse to resolve the issue by peaceful means;
contact your neighbor and ask them to resolve the situation. However, a person does not always admit his guilt and tries to shift it onto another person. If a citizen does not want to spoil relations with those who live in the neighborhood, he needs to look for peaceful ways to solve the problem;
draw up and submit an application to the authorized body. Documents confirming the citizen’s position are attached to it;
formulate a violation report. This is done by employees of the energy sales or management company in the presence of the applicant;
submit the document for consideration by a judicial authority or prosecutor's office.

There is no single application form established by law, so a free form can be used. As a result of reviewing the document, penalties may be applied to the violator. In addition, depending on the damage caused, punishment can be expressed in the form of community service, restriction of freedom, or imprisonment.

Let us give the following example from judicial practice . According to the Decision of the Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow No. 2-3689/2019 dated October 18, 2019, citizen E. was found guilty of illegally connecting neighbor P. to the electrical networks. As a result of the consideration of the case, a fine of 50,000 rubles was imposed on E.

Thus, if your neighbors are stealing electricity, you need to collect evidence. If the conflict cannot be resolved peacefully, you will have to turn to the resource supply organization or court.

What consequences might there be?

Depending on the damage caused, the thief may be forced to pay a fine, perform community service, have his freedom limited, or be deprived of it altogether by imprisoning his neighbor.

In practice, the court will usually rule in favor of paying the fine. This applies to private individuals. Legal entities and officials, especially if they committed theft on a large scale, may be subject to restriction or imprisonment along with the payment of fines.

For your information

According to the first part of Article 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, an official or legal entity will reimburse the full amount of electricity consumed in an unaccounted-for mode, and also pay a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles.

Liability can only be avoided if the complainant withdraws the statement, the electricity supplier refuses to continue the proceedings, and the accused undertakes to pay the full amount of the debt.

Punishment for stealing electricity

Article 7.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides for a penalty in the form of penalties for independent connection and use of electricity without paying for it.

For individuals, the amount of payments will vary from 10,000 to 15,000 rubles. For officials - 30-80 thousand rubles. Legal entities will have to pay a maximum amount of 100 to 200 thousand rubles.

An official may be suspended from performing his or her job for up to 2 years.

For the theft of electricity on a large scale, as well as participation in a group that created a criminal scheme to steal electricity, criminal penalties are provided.

According to Part 1 of Article 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, for causing major damage committed by deception, the perpetrator will be punished in the form of payments of up to 300 thousand rubles. This article also applies to unauthorized connection to the electrical network. In some cases, forced labor for up to 2 years or restriction of freedom for up to 1 year may be imposed.

What threatens an electricity thief under the law?

Depending on the composition of the offense, administrative or criminal punishment is imposed.

If neighbors steal electricity in order to reduce their own expenses, according to Art. 9.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, a fine is imposed in the amount of:

1000-2000 rubles for citizens;
2000-4000 rubles for officials and individual entrepreneurs (for the latter, suspension of activities for 3 months is possible);
20,000-40,000 rubles for organizations (suspension of activities for 3 months is also possible).

If your neighbors' electricity is turned off for non-payment, and they steal it from others, according to Art. 19 of the Administrative Code, the fine will be:

10,000-15,000 rubles for citizens (15-30 thousand for repeated violation);
30-80 thousand rubles for officials (80-200 thousand for repeated violation);
100-200 thousand rubles for organizations (200-300 thousand for repeated violations).

If the cost of electricity stolen by a neighbor exceeds 250 thousand, he faces criminal punishment under Art. 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation:

a fine of up to 300 thousand or in the amount of income for a period of up to 24 months;
forced labor for 2 years (in addition, freedom may be limited for a period of up to 12 months);
imprisonment for up to 2 years.

In the latter case, an additional penalty may be imposed in the form of a fine in the amount of 80 thousand or in the amount of income for a period of up to six months, as well as limited freedom for up to 12 months.

Nuances

Sometimes not everything can go quite smoothly and be resolved quickly. Particularly principled neighbors can hire a good lawyer, who can terminate the paperwork based on just one discrepancy. But he will need to prove that the damage to the seal was not carried out by the owner of the apartment, but by hooligans, or was violated by the electricians who carried out an investigation into the theft. Also, if you have an application from the Distribution Zone to change the meter, you can confirm the violation of the seal in order to replace it. Here the apartment owner can simply make a reservation, claiming that he did not manage to change the meter on time, did not find a repairman on time, etc.

Attention

A neighbor can find out about the fact that an application has been filed against him and eliminate all traces of electricity theft - restore the seal on the meter and return the wires to their original position. Therefore, it is recommended to collect enough evidence so that the unscrupulous neighbor suffers real punishment and is not acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

Comments Showing 0 of 0