Tip-off service sees energy crime reports double

A campaign from Crimestoppers has seen the number of energy crimes being reported double in the last six months. Since the ‘stayenergysafe’ service was launched a year ago, the independent […]

A campaign from Crimestoppers has seen the number of energy crimes being reported double in the last six months.

Since the ‘stayenergysafe’ service was launched a year ago, the independent charity has received more than 2,000 pieces of information on illegal activities such as stealing power, tampering with meters and installing dangerous equipment.

The anonymous reporting service saw Crimestoppers partner with the energy industry to offer the public a way to report such issues, with the primary aim of keeping people safe.

Both energy providers and distributors have said they have achieved excellent conversion rates when conducting field investigations based upon the information received.

Cases include a company that connected a free, unmetered supply of power through a cable into their building, which carried a serious fire risk, as well as a restaurant that was bypassing its meter using poor and dangerous wiring.

Roger Critchell, Director of Operations for Crimestoppers, said: “The information we have received over the year has been pretty consistent and what this allows us to do is help to keep communities safe, because as we know, energy theft and meter tampering can lead to devastating outcomes.”

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