Crimestoppers
Fearless - our youth service
Stay Energy Safe
The dangers of energy theft and what to look out for.
Energy theft is dangerous. Every year it costs lives, causes injury, and destroys property.
Tampering with your meter, to avoid paying for your electricity or gas, may save you a few pounds, but it could cost you an awful lot more. Think about your loved ones; is it worth the risk?
Working together to keep communities safe
We have been working with the energy sector since 2016, to raise the awareness of the dangers of energy theft/meter tampering and what to look out for, to keep people and communities safe.
We're giving people the power to speak up about suspicions of energy theft, which carries with it huge risks to the welfare of you, and those around you.
The dangers
Meter tampering (also known as meter cheating) means altering a meter so it doesn’t fully record how much electricity or gas is being used, or bypassing the meter completely so energy usage isn’t recorded at all. This may seem like a great idea, but adjustments made to meters can be extremely dangerous to anyone in close proximity to them.
Messing with a gas meter can have explosive results! Damage the gas supply, and gas can build up in a room, turning it into a ticking time bomb. Leaking gas can not only cause headaches, or loss of consciousness, it can also be ignited extremely easily - all you need to do it switch on a light - which puts the lives of all of those in the property at risk.
Interfering with an electricity meter is also extremely hazardous. Changing the wiring of a meter could make switches or appliances around the entire property live to the touch; it can also make them overheat or malfunction. It risks shocks and burns to anyone using them, and can start fires that endanger the lives everyone in the vicinity.
Whether at home, or in a business, this is not a victimless crime:
Boy dies after being electrocuted in the back garden of a pub in Essex.
Landlord offers ‘free’ electricity but puts tenants at risk.
What to look out for:
Gas meter cheating can take many forms - even smart meters can be unsafe if tampered with. It can be difficult to know what to look out for, so here are a few points that might help:
- Meter back to front - the meter has been turned around the wrong way so you can’t see the normal dials.
- Smell of gas - a smell of gas near the meter box.
- Rubber tubing - rubber tubing has replaced the usual metal pipes.
- Dial has disappeared - there is no visible dial or counter on the meter any more.
- Working but no credit - the meter shows credit that the credit has run out, but gas is still available.
- Meter dials not moving - the dials on the meter aren’t going around, even when gas is being used.
- Conversations - if you hear people talking about not paying for the gas they are using, they could be putting the people who love or work around them in danger.
Tampering with an electricity meter can take many forms - even smart meters can be unsafe if tampered with. Here are some details of what to look out for:
- Damaged casing - the casing to the meter may be smashed, broken or removed completely and the cables disconnected.
- Extra wires - additional wires sticking out, or bunched up around the meter, and connector clips attaching wires to other wires or the meter itself may be visible (you wouldn't see these on a normal meter).
- Burning smell - a smell of something burning, or even smoke or sparks near the meter box.
- Leaking bitumen - you may see a black sticky substance (like tar/pitch) around the meter.
- Melted meter - parts of the plastic casing may have melted, or there may be scorch/burn marks on the meter.
- Working without credit - the meter shows that the credit has run out, but electricity is still available.
- Meter dials not moving - the dials on the meter aren’t going around, even when electricity is being used.
- Conversations - if you hear people talking about not paying for the electricity they are using, they could be putting the people who love or work around them in danger.
The risks of energy theft/meter tampering are too high to ignore. Not only is it theft, which can lead to a fine, or a prison sentence. More importantly, it is extremely dangerous and risks serious injury to innocent people, even death - as well as major damage to property.
It really is too dangerous to ignore. Report it to us, 100% anonymously. Speak up. Stay safe.
For more information on how to stay energy safe, visit www.stayenergysafe.co.uk.
You can tell us what you know 100% anonymously. Call 0800 023 2777, or complete our Stay Energy Safe online form.
Find out how we work with other organisations to identify crime and keep colleagues and communities safe:
13 February 2025
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