Energy theft could be happening at your home

You can’t see it or touch it, you never see it delivered and although it all looks the same, it's a must have. We’re talking about energy.

We used to take the supply of gas and electricity for granted but since the war in Ukraine, Covid and the cost of living crisis, households across the UK are more preoccupied than ever with who supplies our energy and how much it costs.

Energy costs are unpredictable

The cost of gas and electricity is fluctuating all the time. In the autumn, the energy price cap rose by roughly 10%, resulting in typical dual fuel bills, for those paying by direct debit, rising from £1,568 to £1,717 per year. Another increase is on the cards too, with Cornwall Insight predicting the average dual-fuel bill will rise to £1,736 a year in January 2025.

In reality, each household’s gas and electricity bill will partly depend on how energy efficient their home is. The difference is stark, with Rightmove illustrating the costs. The portal says the average monthly energy bill for a three-bedroom semi-detached house with an energy efficiency rating (EPC) of D is around £2,316 annually. This is, however, the average.

Poor EPCs worsen fuel poverty

Take a property with an A rated EPC, its annual energy bill reduces to just £507 because of its energy efficiency. At the other end of the spectrum, the most inefficient homes with an EPC rating of G, the worse an assessor can award,  will incur an annual energy bill of £5,353.

Theft of energy increasingly common

It may therefore come as no surprise that incidents of energy theft are on the rise. Energy theft is when someone taps into the supply of gas and/or electricity of a neighbouring property and syphons it off for their own use. The person who is stealing the energy doesn’t pay for it, while the person who it is stolen from ends up with extraordinarily high energy bills.

Reports of energy theft or meter tampering filed to Crimestoppers have increased by almost 50%, report energy specialist Bionic. An average of 900+ reports a month were made during a 10 month period earlier in 2024. The illegal activity is being blamed on ‘desperation’ and fuel poverty, says National Energy Action.

How to spot if your energy is being stolen

• Your external meter box is open or damaged
• You can see scorch marks or lose wires in or around your external meter box
• You can smell burning in the vicinity of your external meter box
• There are loose wires, smoke or sparks in your electricity meter
• Your energy bills are much higher than your monthly/annual average
• Your smart meter is always in the red zone, even without appliance use or the heating on
• Your energy usage at night is much higher than that during the day
• There are unplanned and unexplained power cuts and flickering lights

It is important that you report all energy theft suspicions to your supplier and to Stay Energy Safe – a reporting service powered by Crimestoppers. The process of stealing energy can result in severe burns, electrocution, gas leaks and death, especially as many criminals are unskilled and use crude methods to divert gas and electricity supplies.  You must report the smell of gas immediately to the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Tips for preventing energy theft

• Keep external meter boxes locked
• Regularly inspect external meter boxes for damage or tampering
• Keep track of how much energy you are using on a daily, weekly and monthly basis

If you have any concerns about the energy supply to your property, give us a call.