Organizational measures to detect, prevent, eliminate and prevent future cases of electricity theft include the following:
full-scale use of legal administrative and criminal measures for inevitable impact on electricity thieves;
introduction of coordinated electricity metering between energy supply organizations and energy-intensive consumers;
transition of energy sales organizations to monitoring the operation of metering devices with issuing bills to consumers in the household and small-engine sector;
organizing raids to identify facts of electricity theft;
development of a system of incentives and material incentives for inspectors and controllers of energy sales organizations for identifying facts of electricity theft;
conducting audits and marking accounting instruments with special signs;
organization of mass implementation of ASKUE as a settlement system for electricity metering;
use of metering systems with remote transmission of information from calculated metering devices along the power circuit of power supply to consumers;
installation of calculated metering devices on the high voltage side of subscriber transformers;
transfer of calculated metering devices beyond the boundaries of the balance sheet ownership of electricity consumers of private property (cottages, gardening partnerships, etc.);
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coordination of single-line power supply diagrams for newly commissioned and reconstructed electrical installations not only with Energosbyt, but also with Rostekhnadzor authorities.
Technical measures to identify, prevent and eliminate electricity theft include the following:
improving the design of induction meters;
use of induction meters with reverse stops;
the use of induction counters with a reversible counting mechanism;
replacing induction meters with static (electronic) watt-hour meters;
development and serial production of protective screens or other similar devices to protect electronic meters from the effects of electromagnetic fields;
the use of indicator devices that allow comparing the values of load currents in the phase and neutral wires; the use of electronic scanners to detect hidden electrical wiring that bypasses the electricity metering circuit;
checking the correctness of the switching circuits of metering devices, the order of phase rotation and the correct operation of the counting mechanism.
The given list of organizational and technical measures is not exhaustive. Similar measures are being developed and applied at present, constantly developing and improving; their more detailed description can be found in special technical literature.
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An electricity meter was stolen: what to do if the theft occurred in a private house, from a pole, in the entrance of a house (options and algorithm of actions) 19 for unauthorized connection to electrical networks is punishable by a fine of up to 15,000 rubles for individuals, up to 80 thousand. Ask , I am in touch!
Measures to detect and prevent electricity theft - Methods of electricity theft
Theft of not only electricity
“If previously the theft of energy equipment was mainly carried out by people from disadvantaged social groups, some simply out of despair, today in most cases these crimes are committed by well-organized criminal groups, equipped with the necessary equipment, machinery and having well-established sales channels,” noted a trend in FGC UES .
By the way, unauthorized consumption of electricity, as a rule, falls under Article 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (causing property damage by deception or abuse of trust in the absence of signs of theft), and, in addition to a fine, can be punished by correctional labor for up to one year, arrest for up to four months , or imprisonment for a term of up to five years.
Of course, in such cases it rarely comes to actual imprisonment, but, for example, in the Astrakhan region alone last year 125 convictions were made under this article, and 45 local residents received sentences in the form of suspended imprisonment for up to six months or mandatory works
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Theft of electricity is a liability in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation 11 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, the amount of the minimum fine will directly depend on the form of ownership, because neighbors who steal electricity can do it not only for private purposes, but also to solve any commercial problems. Ask, I'm in touch!
How to find out if your neighbors are stealing your electricity
Many people say that they cannot find the illegal connection point themselves to detect theft. It won't be difficult to do this.
It will be enough to check:
- connecting the meter to the network;
- integrity of existing fillings.
We can talk about the presence of an illegal connection if the following is detected:
- extra wires that go to the electric meter installed on the site of an apartment building;
- wires that bypass the meter;
- replacing phase and zero.
Another option is to check central heating batteries - unwinding the meter by grounding it through the risers. The meter may not show anything, but there is a high chance of an electric shock.
Identifying various ways to steal electricity
Difficulties connecting to power grids are one of the reasons for thefts
On the other hand, energy companies themselves to a certain extent provoke consumers to steal. For example, charging a fee not only for electricity consumption, but also for the technical connection to the power grid itself, which, moreover, takes quite a long time to agree upon after submitting the corresponding application.
Nevertheless, consumers should hardly hope for the abolition of such fees or any other concessions from energy companies. As well as impunity: as long as increased control over electricity consumption is justified from a commercial point of view, companies will invest in it, and, judging by the scale of theft, this will be a profitable investment for a long time.
They steal water
It may be more difficult to notice that your neighbors are stealing water: they are unlikely to be able to connect directly to your pipes, which means there is no point in focusing on the number of cubic meters of water spent.
Living in the same house with people who deceive the management company is unprofitable: the difference between total and individual consumption is divided equally among all residents. Although residents should not pay more than the norm, they still don’t want to cover other people’s theft with rubles.
How to calculate. Dishonest neighbors install powerful magnets on the meters that prevent the disk from spinning. But sometimes magnets give themselves away: because of them, neighbors can hear clicks or crackles in the pipes. True, old pipes crack on their own. But if bills for general house needs have reached the maximum, and the stairs in the entrance are not washed very often, it’s worth listening to see if there are any suspicious sounds.
How to fight. Write an application to the management company. If experts discover magnets, they will recalculate and force the neighbor to pay for the “hidden” cubic meters of water.
Possible liability for electricity theft
The upcoming trial and subsequent punishment should serve as a warning to those who want to steal electricity
Birds' nests on power poles and other factors cause significant leaks for which power thieves may have to answer.
Legal advice is beyond the scope of this article, but it is worth mentioning the possible fines and years of imprisonment in some countries for electricity theft:
Electricity theft in Russia: scale, causes, methods and punishment - Connection to power grids - Light - Articles and research.
As it turned out, the meter was significantly altered: a sealed contact was soldered into the electronic circuit, which, when placed on the top of the meter with a magnet, stopped the operation of the device.
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How electricity is stolen and what the consequences may be But while some users are trying to introduce energy-saving lamps and technologies, other people are trying to reduce the amount of payment for electric energy through fraud and theft. Ask, I'm in touch!
They steal electricity
If the amounts on your latest electricity bill were suspiciously high, it's possible that several nearby apartments are using your electricity.
How to calculate. On forums dedicated to electrics, they offer many ways to expose your neighbors: check whether the zero and phase in the panel have been swapped, whether there are any extra wires going to the meter, whether the integrity of the seals has been preserved.
It is quite difficult for a non-professional to understand the panel, but you can simply turn off all electrical appliances in the house, and then see if the meter is spinning. If so, perhaps one of the neighbors is being cunning.
Unplug absolutely everything from the network: phone chargers, even if the phone is not currently connected, a TV that is not currently working, a set-top box with a working LED, and a microwave with a clock and timer. Or simply turn off the machine on the indoor switchboard, if you have one.
One check may also not be enough: if the neighbors are not at home, it will not be easy to notice the leak. Conduct the experiment several times during peak electricity consumption hours - for example, in the evening after work.
Sometimes cunning neighbors remove a separate wire from the old meter: the phase is connected to the socket, and the zero is grounded to the battery - the meter does not take into account the kilowatts passing through such a circuit. This is dangerous: batteries in other apartments can electrocute residents. To check whether electricity is being stolen in this way, use an indicator screwdriver: touch the tip of it to your battery, and if there is voltage, the light on it will light up.
How to fight. Report to the management company, invite an electrician to check and draw up a report - residents have this right by law. If it becomes clear that neighbors have unauthorizedly connected to someone else’s power grid, they can be fined 10-15 thousand rubles.
What is the legal threat to an electricity thief?
Today, neighbors who were caught stealing electricity will be subject not only to administrative penalties in the form of a fine, but also to criminal liability. Therefore, you should understand that the result of your appeal will be the imposition of penalties or even imprisonment for up to 2 years.
As Article 165 of the Criminal Code states, if the guilt of neighbors is proven in the amount of 250 thousand rubles, then the above punishment may be applied to them, together with the imposition of a large fine in the amount of six months’ income.
So, depending on the magnitude of the damage caused, the minimum fine or other measure of influence depends.
Useful tips Connection diagrams Principles of operation of devices Main concepts Meters from Energomer Precautions Incandescent lamps Video instructions for the master Testing with a multimeter
Tell scammers about tenants
To break into an apartment, attackers need to find out who exactly is worth robbing, how many people live in the apartment, what they do and when they are not at home.
The easiest way to do this is to talk to your neighbors. Some of them will tell all the ins and outs of the residents of the entrance simply for the love of gossip. Others can go further and negotiate a special task for a small fee - for example, ask the local “rich people” about the date of the next vacation.
How to fight. If a neighbor who likes to chat starts asking you about personal things, be on your guard. Don’t tell people you don’t know about expensive purchases, vacation plans, your work schedule and salary - even if they are neighbors who live on the same landing as you. Criminals who can then try to rob you can get all this information from them.
Learn about the tricks scammers use to scam you out of your money:
- Calls on behalf of the bank.
- ATMs with overlays for stealing money.
- Theft of apartments from dead people.
Power supply protection
The power transformer for powering the meter control system is also vulnerable to external magnetic fields, as is the current transformer. A successful attack on the power supply can lead to a complete shutdown of the electricity meter.
If a smart meter consumes little power, then one of the options for ensuring power reliability is to implement a drop-cap topology, which does not require a transformer. A drop-cap source uses the capacitance of a capacitor to reduce voltage.
The figure below shows the power supply circuit of a drop-cap source for a three-phase electronic meter:
The design uses a TPS54060 60V/0.5A buck regulator with an integrated high-side MOSFET transistor. The use of three phases allows you to obtain an acceptable value of DC ripple.
The input circuit of each phase consists of three components: an input capacitor (for phase 1 C39), which lowers the network voltage due to its capacitance, a current-limiting resistor R92 and a zener diode D17, which does not pass voltage on the positive cycle and discharges capacitor C39 on the negative AC cycle . The values of C39 and R92 are selected based on the required output voltage of the power supply.
The voltage of the three phases is rectified and charges the capacitor C102 and generates a direct current voltage for the DC-DC converter.
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:
- The capacitor must withstand the peak voltage of alternating current and the amount of current passed must be proportional to the capacitance. The capacitor must have a high operating voltage and a large capacitance, and this is a rather expensive combination. Therefore, this power supply method is usually used for devices with very low power consumption.
- In the absence of a transformer, there is no potential isolation between the power voltage and the system supply voltage, which is not entirely good.
If the device currents are quite large, then it will not be possible to do without a transformer. For this type of power source, it is necessary to have shielding and location in places that are difficult for pests to reach. Sometimes it is necessary to provide backup power sources (batteries) to ensure fairly long operation before the source of the magnetic field is detected and eliminated.
Developments against theft
Below is a diagram of a device that includes many of the anti-electricity theft functions described earlier. The circuit allows the designer to choose whether to use a capacitive power supply or a power supply with a transformer.
For a power supply with a transformer, it is necessary to install a Hall sensor near the transformer. This is necessary to detect attempts to illegally interfere with the operation of the electric meter using a strong magnet. It is necessary to provide backup power in case an attack with a magnet is successful.
If the backup source is battery, then it is necessary to minimize the energy consumption of the Hall sensor.
The above design uses the MSP430F67791A microcontroller, which includes a variety of low-power operating modes, several high-precision sigma-delta ADCs (∑Δ), and several pins for logging events such as tampering. This contact will detect an opening even if the power to the electricity meter is turned off.
This meter will continue to count the values of the previous higher current, and not the one that is flowing now, in the event of detecting a strong magnetic field that is applied to disable the meter.
How much will the fine for electricity theft be in 2022?
The theft of electricity means the consumption of electrical resources or connection to the network without obtaining special permission, or the use of a metering device, which accrues kilowatts in smaller quantities.
What should be regarded as theft of electricity and what liability does the perpetrator face for such an act?
To account for the kilowatts of electricity consumed by apartment buildings, or more precisely, by each entrance, a special communal meter is installed at the entrance. A main riser runs from it, from which wires are installed to supply electricity to each dwelling.
- Respectable people who pay utility bills on time and do not break the law.
- Persons who have financial difficulties and who, one way or another, fall into the circle of utility debts.
- Citizens who believe that they can deceive the law and use the services of public utilities without incurring an obligation to pay.
On what basis can utility workers turn off the lights?
This right is enshrined in Art. 119 of the Decree of the Russian Federation “On the provision of utility services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings.”
In doing so, they must follow a certain order:
Important! A notice is considered given only if there is confirmation of it. This means that it must be handed over to the debtor against receipt or by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt. If this is not done, further “sanctions” will be illegal. The service provider may use other methods of transmitting a message: a call with a recording, an email with confirmation of receipt, information through the state housing and communal services information system or the Internet.
Complete restriction or suspension of the provision of services - cessation of the supply of electrical energy.
Where to apply?
If theft is discovered in an apartment or private house, then file a complaint with the following organizations in the specified order:
- housing management company;
- law enforcement agencies;
- prosecutor's office;
- court.
For your information. Usually the issue is resolved positively after contacting the housing management company.
What to include in the application?
The application shall indicate reliable facts confirming the guilt of the violator with the provision of evidence. You can also indicate the measures you expect to see as punishment. If the application does not contain enough evidence of a crime, then the initiation of a criminal case will be refused.
