In recent weeks, the electricity company Radius has carried out several raids on cafés and pizzerias in the capital area, where a number of companies have been caught bypassing the electricity meter.
According to the company, these are eateries with a high electricity consumption from, among other things, pizza ovens and outdoor heat lamps. In the inspections carried out, electricity theft has been found at more than one in three cafés and pizzerias.
- We cannot of course accept that some customers choose to cheat, and that is why we are cracking down hard on electricity theft. In the latest raids on eateries in the capital area, we have found electricity theft at more than one in three of the cafes and pizzerias examined. Companies should know that we work closely with the police, and when we discover electricity theft, it leads to large fines and in some cases also prison sentences, says Cäthe Bay-Smidt, functional manager at Radius, in a press release.
According to Radius, the costs of electricity theft end up with the other customers on the electricity grid. Therefore, a million-kroner claim has now been sent to the owners of the places that were discovered to be violating the rules. Radius does not disclose how large the claim is.
The company's operating company Nexel has increased its efforts against electricity theft with more employees in the past year. Although more cases are being discovered, Nexel estimates that the problem remains widespread.
The raids are initiated, among other things, based on analyses of consumption data or tips from citizens. Nexel therefore encourages you to contact your network company if you suspect electricity theft, and states that inquiries can be made anonymously.
