ESB meter-tampering doubles in four years
Linda O’Reilly
Seven individuals were fined a total of €16,000 between them by Judge Sean MacBride when convicted of tampering with their electricity supply meters at Cavan District Court recently. The estimated lost of revenue to the ESB in these cases ranged from €370 to €4,368.
Following the successful prosecutions, the ESB network confirmed to The Anglo-Celt that, nationally, the number of detected cases of people tampering with their meters has doubled in the past four years.
There is evidence, however, that the ESB is cracking down hard in such activity.
Last year for example, ESB Networks successfully prosecuted in 50 cases nationally. However, in Cavan District Court, on one day alone in April, there were seven successful prosecutions.
The cases were taken under the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2012, which provides for a number of electricity related offences including unlawful interference with ESB’s network.
Speaking to The Anglo-Celt, Kieran O’Neill from the ESB press office, said: “ESB Networks’ primary concern is the very real public safety risk that arises as a result of the unlawful activity of tampering with electricity meters.”
Targeted
He continued: “Over the last number of years, ESB Networks Ltd has actively targeted the detection of unlawful interference. Taking prosecutions for unlawful interference serves the dual purpose of managing the risk to public safety and acting as a deterrent to would be offenders. The seven cases that came before Cavan District Court last week were detected over the last two years and most likely came before the court on the same day due to the court office’s management of its caseload.”
The maximum fine under law for such an offence is a fine of €5,000 and/or six months in prison.
“Any unauthorised interference with ESB Networks Ltd. equipment causes a serious risk to safety and can have potentially fatal consequences.
ESB Networks Ltd. will continue to actively investigate and prosecute cases of unauthorised interference and expects the increasing trend in prosecutions nationally to continue given the increase year-on-year to date,” added Mr O’Neill.