Last year, the electricity grid companies Cerius-Radius had 179 cases of theft of electricity worth more than 20 million kroner. This was stated by the companies, which supply 1.5 million people in Eastern Denmark with electricity, in a press release.
In comparison, in 2024, the electricity grid companies had 140 cases of theft of electricity worth 9 million kroner. Electricity thieves draw power for, for example, the heat pump, sauna or jacuzzi without paying for it.
This affects other consumers, who then have to reach into their pockets, says function manager Cäthe Bay Smidt.
- As grid companies, we cannot of course accept that law-abiding electricity customers have to pay for the electricity of those who choose to steal.
- That is why we have a close collaboration with the police, so that we can intervene when we find cheating, she says in the announcement.
Cerius-Radius has intensified its efforts to find electricity thieves, it appears. The work of sniffing out the electricity thieves is the responsibility of the operating company Nexel, and they have been tasked with hunting down the thieves.
This is stated by functional manager at Nexel Bo Danielsen.
- Unfortunately, we are finding more cases of fraud than before, and it is also our clear opinion that there are even more out there.
- That is why we are working purposefully on better use of data so that we can sniff out even more cases, says Bo Danielsen in the press release.
In addition to the use of data, inquiries from citizens are crucial in the hunt for the fraudsters, it is said.
- One of our most important tools is still citizens who use our website to report when they, for example, see a cable sticking out strangely from a cable cabinet or something else remarkable, says Bo Danielsen.
The reports can be made anonymously, and all tips will be investigated, promises he.
- We have examples of inquiries from attentive citizens leading to cases of electricity theft worth millions of kroner, says Bo Danielsen.
/ritzau/
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