Clampdown on theft of electricity

Enemalta clients whose electricity meters were tampered with have until June 9 to regularise their position before the corporation takes action against them, Public Investments Minister Austin Gatt warned yesterday.

Dr Gatt said electricity theft was intolerable and costing the corporation millions of liri. Electricity losses, including theft, cost the corporation from Lm7 million to Lm9 million each year.

Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter said a fresh campaign to clamp down on this abuse had been going on for six weeks. During this time Enemalta received 92 reports. Thirty-three of these were inspected and 12 cases of electricity theft were discovered.

Mr Tranter said that since the beginning of the year Enemalta had been carrying out 250 inspections a week. On average, seven per cent of households - 119 cases since - were found to be stealing electricity. Over 11,000 inspections were carried out last year and 508 meters were found to have been tampered with.

Dr Gatt said that 17.7 per cent of electricity units generated two years ago were unaccounted for. This included theft and technical losses. Theft was calculated to amount to some 12 per cent to 14 per cent of output.

The minister said Parliament recently amended legislation to make it easier for Enemalta to take action against people nabbed stealing electricity. It is no longer necessary for the corporation to take criminal action against defaulters but instead they could be made to pay the amount back with interest and other charges.

Mr Tranter said Enemalta was now able to recoup its losses faster and more efficiently without having to resort to bureaucratic procedures.

He said the corporation had set up a specialised unit last year to check and investigate reported cases of theft, carry out investigations without notice and used information at its disposal to identify cases of theft.

Enemalta, he added, had the right to suspend the electricity supply in cases of theft. It could also refuse to reconnect consumers who refused to pay their dues or agree to a repayment programme.

Asked about the possibility of introducing pre-paid meters, the minister said the bidders for a tender for an IT management system for water and electricity were currently being shortlisted. It was a very wide ranging exercise covering several sections from the corporation's billing system to meters in the home.

One of the key objects of the tender was a significant reduction of electricity theft as well as efficient energy management. Through it, the corporation would be able to offer different solutions such as pre-payment and different tariffs.