MRSK Tsentra : Specialists of IDGC of Centre for four months suppressed about two and a half thousand facts of theft of electricity, applications were submitted to law enforcement bodies

IDGC of Centre summed up the results of the implementation in January-April 2018 of measures to identify and suppress non-metered and non-contractual electricity consumption.

In the course of large-scale raid work carried out by staff of Distribution Zones and electricity metering departments of the company's branches, including jointly with specialists of the security unit, 2,493 facts of illegal consumption of electric power were identified and stopped in the service area of IDGC of Centre (11 subjects of the Central Federal District) with a total volume of about 80 million kWh. Most of this volume, 65 million kWh, is accounted for by legal entities.

Particular attention during the raids was paid to work with consumers who had previously been convicted of illegal energy consumption. Their check was preceded by thorough preparation and instruction of raid participants by specialists from security units. In the context of conducting operational search activities, in a number of cases, employees of regional offices of the FSB and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs were involved in the raids.

The energy company takes measures to compensate for the damage. In respect of violators who have not voluntarily made it, court decisions are made on recovery. On the remaining facts, the claims and lawsuits continue.

In addition, the applicant's materials on the facts of unauthorized consumption of electricity were sent to law enforcement agencies. As a result of their consideration, criminal cases were initiated on the grounds of the crime provided for in Art. 165 of the Criminal Code ('Causing property damage by deception or abuse of confidence').

Two large thefts were suppressed by the company's specialists from the beginning of the year in the Tambov region. During the planned inspection in the village of Gosteevka (Michurinsky district) they found damage to the seal in the power plant operating on the territory of the sunflower processing plant. The amount of damage from non-metered energy consumption was 2.232 million rubles. Another unscrupulous consumer - entrepreneur was identified in the village of Krasnosvobodnoye in Tambovsky district. In the course of the planned inspection of a large farm owned by him the energy company discovered a wire connected to the electricity meter, which makes it possible to consume electricity without metering. The amount of damage calculated in accordance with the established tariff was 885 thousand rubles. Acts were drawn up on both facts. The territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia at the district level sent applications on bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Power engineers of the Lipetsk branch of IDGC of Centre in one of the March raids revealed a case of non-metered consumption by the owner of the production base in the Tsemzavod area in Lipetsk. The businessman consumed electricity bypassing the meter, having stolen a total of 60 thousand kWh. Now the entrepreneur will have to pay more than 400 thousand rubles. In addition, the power engineers sent an application to Police Precinct No. 5 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Lipetsk to bring the guilty person to justice.

Sufficiently large thefts were also detected with private individuals. A resident of the village of Bolshaya Kuzminka in the Lipetsk region in winter heated his house at the expense of stolen electricity, having thrown a wire on a power line. The villager did not pay for any consumed kilowatt of an electric boiler, refrigerator, TV, lighting. The amount to be paid by the unscrupulous consumer exceeded 120 thousand rubles. Another resident of Lipetsk, who lives in the village of Bolshoy Khomutets in Dobrovsky district, unauthorizedly connected electricity to a new house, after intervening by IDGC of Centre's employees, paid 109 thousand rubles under a non-contractual consumption act. In both cases, the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia at the district level sent applications on bringing the perpetrators to justice.

IDGC of Centre reminds that the legislation provides for a strict punishment in respect of energy thieves. In case of detection of theft of electricity, the violator not only compensates for the damage to the power grid company, but is also brought to criminal or administrative responsibility with payment of a fine. It should be noted that since 1 January 2016 Russia has tightened administrative responsibility for energy theft. In particular, the amount of fines for unauthorized connection and use of electricity has been increased.

Bona fide consumers, who regularly pay bills for electricity, suffer greatly from criminal acts of violators: because of thefts, there are voltage fluctuations in the grid, household appliances are out of order, the probability of failures, fires and accidents increases.

IDGC of Centre intends to consistently seek compensation for damage by unscrupulous consumers. It should be recalled that the company spends funds collected from energy thieves, including, on financing the main production activities, ensuring reliable and uninterrupted power supply to consumers.