Enemalta is to sign an agreement with Enel, Italy’s largest power company, in the coming weeks to secure the latest smart meters and tap its expertise to curb electricity theft and tampering.
The Sunday Times of Malta is informed this agreement will be instrumental in helping Enemalta tackle some 80,000 problematic smart meters, and address infrastructure glitches.
“Enel will provide Enemalta with second generation smart meters, help with tests to make sure they’re foolproof, customise meters’ technology, and fix communication issues, among others,” Enemalta sources said.
The plan is that with Enel on board, Enemalta will be better positioned to roll out these remaining 80,000 smart meters within two years. Realistically, though, some 10,000 of these may never be connected because buildings may either be derelict or communication drawbacks exist.
Enel has always supplied the smart meters but the previous three-year agreement of €700,000 had been signed with IBM, which simply acted as a support service.
Through the new agreement Enel is expected to go several steps further and provide other benefits such as on-the-job training for Enemalta employees and the exchange of technological know-how.
Enemalta is also making savings of €150,000 under the new three-year agreement.
Just 25 people have been charged in court with smart meter tampering and electricity theft
In August Enemalta had issued a statement saying that between January 2014 and June 2015 electricity theft had been brought down by 33 per cent, increasing its turnover by approximately €10 million in 2014 and another €10 million this year.
Enemalta is anticipating that by the end of the year it will exceed the €20 million mark in savings after it introduced several measures to curb theft.
The company was stung by a theft scandal in February 2014 when it was revealed that about 1,000 smart meters had been tampered with. The government had initiated an amnesty in an attempt to recoup part of the losses and 428 customers had applied to benefit. So far, just 25 people have been charged in court with smart meter tampering and electricity theft.
The sources said this year alone, 1,050 cases of electricity theft were regularised with some owing the company up to €1m. Most chose to settle and not face court and in situations where the offender could not afford to cough up the money, a payment plan was drawn up.
Enemalta has since started developed new software, affixed warning stickers and theft detection sensors, and is conducting an average of 66 electricity theft inspections a month, to ensure full compliance.
An internal anti-theft task force has also been set up internally to identify and take action against employees involved in theft and other irregularities.