2022/25587 - Impact of Energy Theft
REQUEST
(Please note - this is part 1 with questions 1 to 6 of 11 questions. Submitted in 2 parts due to restrictions on online form)
Energy theft is where somebody tampers or interferes with a gas or electricity meter or the supply of gas or electricity to that meter so that it does not properly record the energy use. Energy theft is illegal and can be very dangerous.
As well as the financial implications, energy theft can cause damage to property, fires, explosions, serious injuries and tragically, sometimes fatalities.
One of the responsibilities given to RECCo and set out within the Retail Energy Code is to develop an energy theft reduction strategy.
As part of that strategy development, we want to understand the impact energy theft has on the health and safety of consumers and the public.
We would like any information you hold on the following questions for the period of 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021.
Your organisation may not record and hold information covering all the questions, please answer N/A for any that you do not have any relevant data. The full list of questions we are requesting information on have been included to provide context for the data we are seeking to obtain.
- Number of deaths, split by year, caused by electrocution or fire due to interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable and general geo-location of each death.
- Number of deaths, split by year, caused by gas exposure, gas explosion or fire due to interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe and general geo-location of each death.
- Number of injuries, split by year, caused by electrocution or fire due to interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable and severity and general geo-location of each injury.
- Number of injuries, split by year, caused by gas exposure, gas explosion or fire due to interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe and severity and general geo-location of each injury.
- Number of reported crimes to the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
- Number of crimes investigated by the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
- Number of cautions given by the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
- Number of prosecutions attempted by the CPS relating to relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
- Number of prosecutions the CPS that were successful relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
- Number of fires or explosions attended where the cause may be attributed to the interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
- Number of fires or explosions attended where the cause may be attributed to the interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
RESPONSE
- Number of deaths, split by year, caused by electrocution or fire due to interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable and general geo-location of each death.
This data may be found with the Coroner or the registrar for Gwent.
- Number of deaths, split by year, caused by gas exposure, gas explosion or fire due to interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe and general geo-location of each death.
This data may be found with the Coroner or the registrar for Gwent.
- Number of injuries, split by year, caused by electrocution or fire due to interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable and severity and general geo-location of each injury.
This data may be found with the NHS.
- Number of injuries, split by year, caused by gas exposure, gas explosion or fire due to interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe and severity and general geo-location of each injury.
This data may be found with the NHS.
- Number of reported crimes to the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
The data below shows the number of recorded offences with the title of ‘Abstract / use without authority electricity (recordable)’ from 01/01/2017 – 31/12/2021.
|
Neighbourhood |
Total |
|
Caerphilly South |
27 |
|
Newport East |
18 |
|
Torfaen |
14 |
|
Caerphilly North |
13 |
|
Blaenau Gwent |
13 |
|
Caerphilly Central |
8 |
|
Newport City Centre |
7 |
|
Newport West |
6 |
|
Monmouthshire |
3 |
|
Grand Total |
109 |
- Number of crimes investigated by the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
Of the 109 offences noted in the data above, 104 offences which were at one point ‘under investigation’.
- Number of cautions given by the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
There was 1 custody record during 2017-2021 relating to the abstracting electricity offence where the disposal title was a caution. This took place in 2017 in Newport.
- Number of prosecutions attempted by the CPS relating to relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
This data may be found with the Crown Prosecution Service.
- Number of prosecutions the CPS that were successful relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
Prosecution data can be obtained via the courts.
- Number of fires or explosions attended where the cause may be attributed to the interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
This data may be found with the fire service.
- Number of fires or explosions attended where the cause may be attributed to the interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
This data may be found with the fire service.