Enemalta has recovered more than €3 million over the past five years from customers who tampered with water and electricity meters.

The bulk of the revenue was collected by Enemalta over the past three years: over €425,000 this year, €849,017 in 2008 and €951,000 in 2007.

The amounts collected every year include revenue from tampered meters reported throughout the years as customers have the possibility to work out a feasible repayment system with Enemalta.

Figures reveal a drop in the number of tampered meters reported this year because targeted inspections were stopped on the introduction of the smart meter pilot project in April.

Between January and October, a total of 126 tampered meters were discovered during inspections.

During the installation of the new smart meters, 10 tampered meters were found in nine households and one factory in St Andrew's, Mdina, Manikata, Gżira, Żebbuġ, Marsascala and Gżira, with almost €18,000 in unpaid consumption.

An Infrastructure Ministry spokesman said Enemalta was looking into what type of legal action could be taken against two households in Mdina found to be totally unregistered.

When the pilot project to install 5,000 smart meters began in April, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said Malta would be totally smart metered by 2012. The project, involving Enemalta, the Water Services Corporation and software giant IBM, is worth €70 million.

About 4,500 households in Gżira, Mosta, Ta' l-Ibraġ, Mtaħleb, Marsascala, Valletta, Swieqi, Madliena, Manikata, Kirkop, Żebbuġ (Gozo) and Mdina already have new meters.

Senglea is the only town with smart meters installed in all households.

The meters are expected to list the different tariffs for day and night consumption, issue actual bills and not estimates, issue bonuses for paying on time, identify electricity patterns and also offer customised payment plans, such as pre-paid options.

Among other things, the smart meters send out a remote reading to certain established points using a GPRS system, eliminating the need for meter readers to call at households.

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