Moscow United Electric Grid Company Calculates Damage from Power Thieves

The preliminary results of «Fair kilowatt» activity which was carried out from May till August of 2010 were summed up in Moscow United Electric Grid Company.

During the activity, which goal was to find out the cases of the self-willed connection to the electric grids, they carried out 1927 inspections. As a result, they found out 2750 cases of unregistered power consumption. Amount of power thefts found for the given period accounted for 35 323,6 thousand kWh, which in money terms is more than RUR 126 million.

The issue about the punishment of the “power thieves” is considered depending on the amount of the caused damage and the fact whether or not the subscriber used the illegal connection earlier.

All in all, law enforcement and public prosecution agencies received 31 applications regarding the thefts. According to the results of their consideration 2 cases were brought to an action in accordance with article 165 of the Criminal code of the Russian Federation. There is no court solution yet. As for the rest materials there were no cases brought to an action due to the reason of the complete payment for the illegal power consumption.

Analysis of fight with the losses of power showed that in Moscow the most part of the electric power thefts is made by the legal persons. Agreement free consumption occurs during the change of the owners of the small and medium business. Unreliable consumes are not willing to resign the agreements with the power supplying company, as well as pay the cost of the capacity technological connection to MOESK.

 

Moscow Region witnesses that the considerable part of the power thefts is carried out in the grids of 0,4 kV by the household consumers and private entrepreneurs (trade stalls and small shops and etc). Every month the personnel of the regional branches detect at least 6,5 million kWh 40 % of which is accounted for the ordinary people.

The most troubled situation with the power thefts is in Novinskiy, Ramenskiy, and Mytishchenskiy district of the Moscow Region. During the “Fair kilowatt” event the most unregistered amount of the consumed electric power was detected by the personnel of Northern Electric Grids, the branch of JSC “MOESK”.

It should be mentioned that the carrying out of the activity was supported by Boris Gromov, Moscow Region Governor. Besides, during the inspections they received the support from both the regional law enforcement agencies and the local administrations.

As Mikhail Kruchinin said, Head of JSC “MOESK” Power Transmission Directorate, “all reliable consumers bear the losses from “power thieves”. Costs connected with the elimination of failures, occurred as a result of the same situations, repairs of the equipment, working in the regime of the increased loads due to the self-willed connections, influence the tariffs for the electric power. That’s why this activity shall be the regular one. The wide highlighting of the work directed to the liquidation of the self-willed connection to the electric grids as well as information on the activities directed to punish the blamed persons will help to prevent the power thefts and will save the means of each consumer.