Crimestoppers target energy crime with dedicated service

Crimestoppers has partnered with the energy industry to launch a dedicated service in an attempt to tackle the 150,000 cases of energy theft in the UK every year.

The independent charity is working with all 96 of the UK’s energy suppliers and distributors to launch the anonymous crime hotline and website which the public can use to report crimes, and will also be used to inform the public of the consequences of energy theft and appeal for information.

The move follows rule changes by regulator Ofgem which require the industry to clamp down on not just costly, but also potentially fatal energy theft.

Ofgem said the annual cost to the public of energy theft is £440 million, but tampered and bypassed meters also increase the risk of fire and explosions.

A woman in Glasgow lost her life in a fire caused by a tampered meter, while earlier this year there was a near fatality in a high rise flat Bedforshire.

The campaign has the backing of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue. Chief fire officer Paul Fuller said he had seen “first-hand the impact a fire can have as a result of a tampered meter, and any means to prevent this from happening, I wholeheartedly support”.

Crimestoppers chief executive, Mark Hallas, said: “It’s no exaggeration to say that this is a ground-breaking agreement that we have forged with the energy industry to ensure that crimes such as meter tampering are clamped down on.

“This isn’t just about supporting the industry, though, it’s about our duty to the communities we work with. Explosions and fires as a result of energy theft can be devastating, which is why we are running this service on behalf of the industry, to ensure our streets are safe.”

Ofgem chief executive Dermot Nolan said: “Energy theft costs the UK hundreds of millions of pounds each year and puts people’s lives at risk. This is why we’re working with the energy industry to clamp down on this crime. The hotline will be an important tool to help end this offense.”