During the nine months of this year 623 cases of unrecorded electricity consumption were revealed the total cost of which comprised over 4 million rubles, as well as 460 cases f uncontracted consumption the total cost of which is 3.6million rubles, the press-service of OAO Lipetsk Municipal Energy Company reports.
For instance, in the private houses of the village of Ssekli 70% of the consumed electrical energy is not paid for.
For the nine months the company managed to return over 600 thousand of stolen rubles through the court procedures. The multiple electricity thefts are legally punishable according to the Art. 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The maximum punishment is a custodial restraint for the period up to 2 years and the fine of up to 80 thousand rubles.
To prevent the electricity thefts the company decided to introduce special mobile brigades.
Each brigade is equipped with a light motor vehicle and an Energy Monitor device which enables tracing electricity thefts rapidly. If there is a case of electricity consumption without a meter the Energy Monitor can help to trace the violations in the recording system which are not visible for the controllers and estimate scheme errors. The prompt actions of the mobile brigades will increase the number of inspections considerably. The whole process will be recorded on video so that it could be easier to prove the fact of a theft in court.
