Methods of Electricity Theft and Methods of Their Detection Checking Grounding

Organizational measures to detect, prevent, eliminate and prevent future cases of electricity theft include the following:

full-scale use of legal administrative and criminal measures for inevitable impact on electricity thieves;

introduction of coordinated electricity metering between energy supply organizations and energy-intensive consumers;

transition of energy sales organizations to monitoring the operation of metering devices with issuing bills to consumers in the household and small-engine sector;

organizing raids to identify facts of electricity theft;

development of a system of incentives and material incentives for inspectors and controllers of energy sales organizations for identifying facts of electricity theft;

conducting audits and marking accounting instruments with special signs;

organization of mass implementation of ASKUE as a settlement system for electricity metering;

use of metering systems with remote transmission of information from calculated metering devices along the power circuit of power supply to consumers;

installation of calculated metering devices on the high voltage side of subscriber transformers;

transfer of calculated metering devices beyond the boundaries of the balance sheet ownership of electricity consumers of private property (cottages, gardening partnerships, etc.);

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coordination of single-line power supply diagrams for newly commissioned and reconstructed electrical installations not only with Energosbyt, but also with Rostekhnadzor authorities.

Technical measures to identify, prevent and eliminate electricity theft include the following:

improving the design of induction meters;

use of induction meters with reverse stops;

the use of induction counters with a reversible counting mechanism;

replacing induction meters with static (electronic) watt-hour meters;

development and serial production of protective screens or other similar devices to protect electronic meters from the effects of electromagnetic fields;

the use of indicator devices that allow comparing the values ​​of load currents in the phase and neutral wires; the use of electronic scanners to detect hidden electrical wiring that bypasses the electricity metering circuit;

checking the correctness of the switching circuits of metering devices, the order of phase rotation and the correct operation of the counting mechanism.

The given list of organizational and technical measures is not exhaustive. Similar measures are being developed and applied at present, constantly developing and improving; their more detailed description can be found in special technical literature.

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It-Technology, Electrical power and electronics specialist

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An electricity meter was stolen: what to do if the theft occurred in a private house, from a pole, in the entrance of a house (options and algorithm of actions) 19 for unauthorized connection to electrical networks is punishable by a fine of up to 15,000 rubles for individuals, up to 80 thousand. Ask , I am in touch!

How to Steal Light With Grounding

Hello! Today I would like to talk about popular methods of stealing electricity in an apartment and house, which are used by electrician thieves.

The purpose of this article is to inform ordinary homeowners about the schemes used by unscrupulous consumers to steal, possibly your electricity. In this publication we will look at the most used methods of fraud and theft of electrical energy from power supply networks and their calculation. Our goal is to warn ordinary users about the consequences of such actions in relation to the electricity service provided to them. We also note that regulatory organizations and departments are well aware of these methods of fraud, a set of measures has been developed aimed at exposing careless consumers, and measures have also been developed to counter them. Previously, we talked about legal ways to save energy.

Basically, unscrupulous consumers are pushed to steal electricity by: low level of income, constant increase in tariff coupled with high energy consumption, misuse of the resource. But there are also individuals for whom such manipulations are a way of self-affirmation in the eyes of friends and themselves.

Combating electricity theft

Knowing how to detect facts of electricity theft in apartment buildings and gardening communities, it becomes easier to imagine what measures should be taken to combat theft.

Methods to combat electricity theft

An effective fight against electricity theft is based on two main components: systematic control and timely detection of theft. Let's look at the simplest ways to combat theft.

Regular bypass of the route, allowing for visual inspection of connections and meter readings. However, the involvement of linemen is fraught with the human factor - the employee may not notice the bypass additional line or mistakenly underestimate the electricity consumption readings when removing. These risks can be eliminated using remote meter reading systems. Sealing of meters with conventional or magnetic seals. Unfortunately, practice shows that this technique can be smashed to smithereens just like the counter itself. The owner breaks the meter with all its seals, consumes electricity in unlimited quantities until the inspector arrives, and then claims that until the last moment everything was fine with the meter. When monitoring power directly at the input with a data archive, such manipulations with the counter become useless. Monitoring the meter connection diagram for phase-to-zero compliance at the input, as well as searching for powerful transformers and other devices that force the meter to count “in the other direction.” However, with the possibility of instant metering of power consumption, coupled with its active and reactive components, direct control becomes unnecessary.

Combating electricity theft using ASKUE

The energy efficiency of remote readings collection technology is determined by several basic components, namely the presence of a sufficiently large range, the cheapest possible dispatch, ease of building a network architecture with the ability to easily connect new devices and, of course, reliability and noise immunity.

Meters with a built-in radio module will accurately and timely transmit data from each electricity metering point. And if you have old-style meters, it is possible to install an external modem that will transmit readings directly to the base station - without wires or hubs. Using a convenient interface, the management company will be able to monitor readings for each metering point and for the connection as a whole.

The question of how to prove the theft of electricity disappears by itself if there is a database that reflects the volumes of electricity consumed both as a whole for the connection and separately for each consumer. If necessary, you can use data from external sensors installed on branches to consumers.

Thanks to the automation of readings collection, there is no possibility of under-metering of electricity or hiding part of the consumed power by preventing the owner of the management company from accessing the meter.

Control over each metering point via the Internet

The ability to constantly remotely monitor energy consumption is provided by the STRIZH web interface. Using a personal account, representatives of the management company can monitor the distribution of received power online and control its consumption with the possibility of remote shutdown.

Prevention of electricity theft

In the modern world of high technology and 4G Internet networks, there is no doubt about the effectiveness and economic feasibility of using remote control systems to combat the theft of electricity and its economical use.

By installing STRIZH equipment, the management company gets the opportunity to clearly control and account for consumed energy resources, complete with simple and convenient access to the database.

Eliminate electricity theft with ASKUE!

Deception of the electric meter through grounding

Method 2.

“Saving” electricity by excluding the meter from the power supply circuit. If the connection to the meter is made according to a permanent scheme, at one point you risk being fined a very significant amount (for example, annual electricity consumption). If you connect the load to the meter using some unreliable, temporary connections (some use needles), then poor contact at the connection point can cause a fire. Another way to exclude the meter from the load power circuit is to short-circuit its current winding. In this case, the current flowing through the counter is zero and the counter disk does not rotate. The danger here is the unreliability of the contact connection. The meter's terminal box is sealed and you cannot provide a reliable contact connection, and the load current of the entire apartment flows through this jumper. As a result, it will heat up, which can damage the meter. Unreliable contact can lead to periodic power outages and, under certain conditions, cause failure of some household appliances. In general, there are no methods that cannot be discovered. This method is checked simply: the circuit breakers (or plugs) at the input are turned off, and if there is voltage in any socket (or even better, some device continues to work), then there is a connection to the meter. The consequence is a fine.

One thing is bad: at the entrance of the cap there is a password in the form of a seal. But you are a free person, you live in a free country, so away with all barriers. What happens next? Then, not very soon, maybe in a year, your aunt will ring your doorbell with an electric flashlight in her hand. Where is your book for light? Just think, damn it, their network administrator calls electricity LIGHT! Why don't you pay? Why isn't your counter spinning? In general, this lady's driving sucks. You calmly tell her that you don’t have to keep an eye on their meter, that just anyone is hanging around in the entrances, despite the intercoms, and from your locked hallway, where several apartments are located, in winter some parasite stole the sled that you left there on a few minutes.

How to steal electricity using grounding

If, when examining your meter, you identify any third-party wires that are suitable in addition to the normal circuit, then this indicates that your neighbors are stealing electricity, taking it away from your meter. The direction of these additional conductors should then be found.

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Why isn't your counter spinning? In general, this lady's driving sucks. You calmly tell her that you don’t have to keep an eye on their meter, that just anyone is hanging around in the entrances, despite the intercoms, and from your locked hallway, where several apartments are located, in winter some parasite stole the sled that you left there on a few minutes.

One guy bought a magnet and carried it home in his trouser pocket. And so, passing by the metal gate, the magnet magnetized the unfortunate man tightly. Not in the sense of dying, but in the sense that I had to rip my trousers to free myself. And then the magnet was torn off with a hammer and chisel.

Many sites on the Internet describe many ways to steal electricity, including connection options and diagrams of homemade devices. There are also ready-made products on sale, which, according to their creators, allow you to legally save electricity by converting reactive power. In most cases, such devices do little to nothing and are sold for a lot of money to gullible buyers.

Where do they usually steal?

Theft of electricity in SNT

A garden non-profit partnership is a settlement that is commonly called a dacha village .

Electricity wires in these places often fall prey to unscrupulous citizens.

Other people are also connected to the wires, so conscientious payers pay bills for electricity, which, in fact, they did not use.

It is very simple to determine this offense within the framework of a gardening non-profit partnership.

You just need to watch the wires to see homemade connections and forks.

If there are such defects on the wires , you know that someone is illegally using the electricity you paid for.

It is possible to stop such an act only if you contact the appropriate structures in a timely manner.

Watch a video about how residents of DNT Mechta fought with the chairman for electricity, and he accused them of theft:

Expert opinion

Viktor Pavlovich Strebizh, lighting and electrical expert

Any questions ask me, I will help!

If theft is proven, the fine is determined by the court based on the maximum potential use that is available in the production of electrical appliances during the period of detection of differences in the readings of the joint meter on the power line and the joint readings of customers' electricity meters. If there is something you don’t understand, write to me!

How to steal electricity if the meter is on the street

1. Report the loss to the police department. This must be done, since the meter installed on the flight of stairs is the property of the consumer. Even if the meter is on a pole, it is also necessary to report this to the police department in order to avoid further suspicion on the part of the network organization that the consumer himself committed theft.
2. Receive a document from the internal affairs bodies indicating that the theft has been recorded.
3. Depending on where the energy meter is located, contact the service organization with a statement and attach a document from the police and report that the meter was stolen:

• if the meter was on a pole or on the facade of a private house, you should contact directly the network organization serving this territory;
• if the meter was located in the entrance, you should inform two organizations at once: the management company - if the apartment building is serviced by the management company;
• the energy supply company from which bills are received.

Due to the crackdown, unscrupulous consumers have lost the ability to directly bypass the security system, so they have found a loophole by connecting to their neighbors' networks. If you have any doubts about your neighbors stealing electricity, you should immediately check this fact for both your financial and electrical safety.

Individual experiments do not count. Not everyone can make friends even with explosive gas. In a personal household, this is simply an irreplaceable thing. https://auto-minsk.maxbb.ru/forum43.html \ “unwillingness to think and invest money in new technologies.” Alexander, you are talking about business, but there are completely different laws. Double standards, double policies, double morals... Haven't you noticed the difference between an entrepreneur and an ordinary citizen? You can buy in bulk, have a bank, lobby for your interests, dictate laws, have a private army, kill people for profit…. If only there was a piece of paper (license) that opens any door. I myself am an individual entrepreneur, not from a good life, believe me, I’m telling you what I see. Few people are interested in patents, and you have to pay for a patent. Nobody needs the inventor, that’s where the trouble lies, especially his inventions. Money is not the main thing, money is not managed by those “people” who are obliged by the constitution to act in the interests and for the benefit of the people, COMPETITION FOR THE RIGHT TO SERVE FROM THE CONSUMER, that’s where the dog is buried. Who will allow the implementation of a new plant if the old one, already expanded to a certain volume, has not “recaptured” the planned profit for the oligarch, although it produces products that are 50 years old? It's easier to kill the inventor... “I put him on a keg of gunpowder, let him fly...” In general, I won’t argue, there’s too much crap to clear up to understand “what is a scam?”

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The instructions for my multimeter say that under no circumstances should resistance measurements be taken in live circuits. Continuity, as I understand it, also refers to the resistance measurement mode. A couple of times, out of inexperience, I measured the “negative” resistance on dead batteries, and it showed negative resistance. The device is alive, of course, but you can imagine what will happen if you try to dial 220.

Common methods of stealing electricity

"Bug" or theft of electricity from wires

This method is applicable in the private sector. We recommend that you periodically inspect the overhead cable line running through your street. It may turn out that they are stealing from you! This is relevant in dacha cooperatives, since the general cooperative needs for electricity supply will fall on your shoulders.

An unauthorized connection of the entire home network to an electrical input or overhead power line occurs, thereby bypassing the energy meter. Sometimes scammers use this method to power individual particularly powerful consumers. As a rule, supply wires are thrown onto an unprotected power line, the other ends of which are already integrated into the intra-house network after the meter. In this case, the input machine is turned off, excluding the flow of current through the meter itself. Or they simply power a powerful, voracious consumer, such as an electric heater, welding machine, or other devices, using this method.

If you are sure that your neighbor has energy-intensive equipment, then it is worth taking a closer look.

"Left Zero". Operation of the meter without a neutral wire

Once again, when passing by the energy meter, pay attention to whether it is counting. If the readings do not change for a long time, but you are sure that electricity is being used, we recommend contacting the relevant authorities.

This method is very common among scammers in the post-Soviet space due to its simplicity. The essence of the theft process is the notorious bypass of the meter along the neutral wire. We recommend taking a closer look at old disk counters. Old-style metering devices are susceptible to the flow of currents through the neutral wire, and in the absence of such, the device simply stops taking into account electricity consumption. As a rule, “zero” is removed from the outlet network and grounded. Borrowers can be water supply and heating pipes, metal supporting structures of the building.

A sign of such theft is the tingling sensation of electric current from heating and water supply pipes. This means that one of your neighbors is doing this.

Interfering with the operation of the meter.

If the design of a metering device allows an attacker to influence its internal mechanisms, then perhaps he will not interfere with the operation of the metering device. For example, old-style meters are tilted forward at a certain angle, and they no longer adequately count energy. Also, with such counters, with certain skills, scammers manage to get through the front glass to the counting mechanism and stop it.

Magnets for the meter body

Heavy-duty magnets deserve a special place on the list (according to their advertising). We are more familiar with such products as neodymium magnets. It is understood that such products are applied to the body of the metering device, which entails failures and disruptions in the operation of the latter. The metal parts of the counting mechanism are inhibited, and the integrity of the magnetic field of the current counting coils is disrupted. At least that's what the advertisement for these magnets says. I am inclined to believe that the manufacturers of metering devices have provided for the influence of such magnets. Since counting mechanisms have long been made of non-magnetic materials.

Operation Impulse.

Craftsmen also did not sit still and finally invented a device capable of consuming electricity without “winding up” kilowatt-hours on the meter. The principle of such a device is the originality of energy consumption. This device takes it in short-term pulses, which in turn does not allow metering devices of older models to read current. This occurs due to the mechanical inertia of the counting mechanism parts.

Reprogramming the counter.

If the level of professional training of a lover of free energy is high, then he can carry out the procedure of reflashing the program algorithms of a modern meter in order to steal a certain part of the electricity.

from the electricity supply can track down such a thief .

“Alien phase” or power supply from neighbors.

There are cases when in apartment buildings two sockets are installed coaxially in the space between apartment walls. One is directed and powered to apartment A, the other to apartment B. An enterprising swindler from apartment B dismantles the body of his socket and throws the thieves’ wires onto socket A. Result: your swindler neighbor uses electricity at your expense, and you don’t even know about it. Sometimes a foreign phase can be taken from the basement energy input distribution device (IDU). They also put wires on the busbars or terminals of the ASU, drag the cable into their apartment and use it. There are cases where the cable is powered from public lighting networks. The only differences are in the connection point.

But even here the thief can be tracked through the wires and reported to the right place.

Here are the most popular ways to steal electricity. I would like to note that regulatory organizations are not sitting idly by. They regularly study the experience of violators, know about most theft schemes, and build more modern countermeasures. And manufacturers of metering devices are constantly improving their products.

How to steal electricity if the meter is on the street

Today, neighbors who were caught stealing electricity will be subject not only to administrative penalties in the form of a fine, but also to criminal liability. Therefore, you should understand that the result of your appeal will be the imposition of penalties or even imprisonment for up to 2 years.

According to the requirements established by Article 9.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, the amount of the minimum fine will directly depend on the form of ownership, because neighbors who steal electricity can do this not only for private purposes, but also to solve any commercial problems.

How to figure it out: to catch such a thief, you need to go through storerooms and sheds in order to find a transformer for unwinding. Typically, this device is bulky and easy to spot.

• A fairly primitive method is to throw on the wires. This option is common when connecting a powerful machine or welding during construction and repair. The cover is removed when you stop using the device.
• How to calculate: the check is carried out based on complaints from neighbors, who most often detect voltage drops, manifested in the blinking of lights. Talking to your neighbors is always helpful because some of them are well aware of who is actually stealing electricity.
• submit an application to the management company with a request to check the connection of your meter;
• after the arrival of a representative of Energosbyt, together with him, prepare a report on the presence of theft, and also record the available evidence in the presence of witnesses (for greater persuasiveness, you can also ask them to sign the drafted report);
• Upon completion of all these actions, you can contact the court and the prosecutor's office, which are obliged to deal with your issue within a specified time frame.

Responsibility: what will happen?

In Russia, the damage from the non-contractual use of electricity amounts to several billion rubles per year. The legislation provides for several measures for unauthorized waste of electrical resources - from fines to imprisonment for up to 5 years.

When theft of electricity is detected in the private sector or on an industrial scale, a report is drawn up that determines the material amount of damage. It is the size of the damage caused that affects the degree of liability:

• Administrative and legal responsibility is regulated by Art. 7.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and provides for the following penalties:
• fine up to 15 thousand rubles. for citizens;
• fine up to 80 thousand rubles. against an official or his disqualification for up to 2 years;
• fine up to 200 thousand rubles. for legal entities;

• fine up to 300 thousand rubles;
• forced labor;
• imprisonment for up to 5 years.

A criminal case is initiated if electricity is stolen again or the total amount of damage is more than 250 thousand rubles, which entails more serious penalties, including imprisonment.

Note!

The executive body is obliged to notify the subscriber in writing of the debt, in case of non-payment of which the power supply will be turned off within 30 days (RF RF dated 05/06/2011 No. 354). In the event of an unreasonable shutdown of electricity by an official, the latter is liable in accordance with Art. 215.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and 7.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

What to do and how to steal electricity: 4 ways

Next, a company employee carries out measuring work. Using an indicator screwdriver, all devices are checked. If, when the machine is turned off, a powered conductor or device is found and theft is established, this will be punishable by a huge fine.

There are several ways to influence the operation of the meter. But in most cases, you will need access to the electrical elements of the device. In older models, it was possible to change the polarity of the connection, due to which the counter began to spin in the opposite direction.

Possible liability for electricity theft

The upcoming trial and subsequent punishment should serve as a warning to those who want to steal electricity

Birds' nests on power poles and other factors cause significant leaks for which power thieves may have to answer.

Legal advice is beyond the scope of this article, but it is worth mentioning the possible fines and years of imprisonment in some countries for electricity theft:

Electricity theft in Russia: scale, causes, methods and punishment - Connection to power grids - Light - Articles and research.

As it turned out, the meter was significantly altered: a sealed contact was soldered into the electronic circuit, which, when placed on the top of the meter with a magnet, stopped the operation of the device.

Expert opinion

It-Technology, Electrical power and electronics specialist

Ask questions to the “Specialist for modernization of energy generation systems”

How electricity is stolen and what the consequences may be But while some users are trying to introduce energy-saving lamps and technologies, other people are trying to reduce the amount of payment for electric energy through fraud and theft. Ask, I'm in touch!

How electricity is stolen from a private home

How to calculate: to identify the fact of theft, open the meter and look at how the phase is connected. If everything inside the device is messed up, then the citizen is probably engaged in pure theft. True, nothing can be proven right away. Therefore, you should use a trick: forgive your neighbor his sin, while changing everything as required.

But consumers, wanting to save money, found a way out of this situation. A common method among people is to apply magnets made of neodymium alloy. The constant magnetic field of the alloy disrupts the operation of the meter motor, and this applies to both single-phase and three-phase models. Such magnets are simply placed on top of the counter, and you can buy them everywhere, even on the Internet.

On what basis can utility workers turn off the lights?

This right is enshrined in Art. 119 of the Decree of the Russian Federation “On the provision of utility services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings.”

In doing so, they must follow a certain order:

Important! A notice is considered given only if there is confirmation of it. This means that it must be handed over to the debtor against receipt or by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt. If this is not done, further “sanctions” will be illegal. The service provider may use other methods of transmitting a message: a call with a recording, an email with confirmation of receipt, information through the state housing and communal services information system or the Internet.

Complete restriction or suspension of the provision of services - cessation of the supply of electrical energy.

How to steal energy: 101 ways

Many methods of theft are implemented due to imperfections in the design of induction meters, such as the relative ease of influencing the meter disk and the possibility of shunting current circuits, changes in the switching circuit of secondary circuits, the absence of stopping or reversing devices in the counting mechanism, the narrow rated range of the meter for load current, non-metering half-wave or half-wave unbalanced load, the impact on the reliability of accounting for load current phase inversion.

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To steal electricity, some “masters” use an autotransformer with a power of 150–200 W with a voltage on the secondary winding from 3 to 15 V. Since the autotransformer allows you to regulate the input voltage, with this adjustment you can achieve almost any desired effect, including: rotating the counter disk in the opposite direction side, its stop or its slow rotation. It is extremely difficult to detect this method of theft even if there is a visible presence of an autotransformer in the circuit. The simplest and most effective way to steal electricity is considered to be mechanical action (especially for single-phase meters) by tilting the meter itself until the rotation of its disk completely stops. To do this, you just need to loosen the upper fastening of the meter to the panel, which does not present any difficulty, since the upper fastening of the meter (screw) has open access and is located outside the terminal box cover.

This way, neighbors can connect to your outlet. In order to check, you must turn off all circuit breakers. And using an indicator screwdriver, check the presence of voltage in each power device. There shouldn't be any tension.

One of the common methods of stealing electricity is the method in which the electric meter is unwinded; for this, the grounding from the device is connected to the heating system. It is important to understand that with such a connection, there is a high probability of electric shock to a person. Therefore, it is necessary to check the condition of the batteries.

Methods of theft and methods of their detection

There are several ways to steal electricity.

Of course, a person who does not understand anything about wiring and the basics of engineering is unlikely to understand that a crime is being committed.

to connect to electrical networks .

For example, you can make a transverse connection to networks, a longitudinal connection, and even a repeated one.

Depending on the connection, the criminal can regulate the amount of electricity supplied to his electrical network, and therefore control his costs.

As a rule, such connections look suspicious due to the heterogeneity of the wires contained nearby.

How electricity is stolen from a private home

Another thing is that they are not on the wiring diagram and the wires going to them are redundant on junction boxes or sockets. The change of zero and phase can occur in another way. The phase is connected to zero, and the zero itself is disconnected and connected to ground. The counter stops ticking.

Many will wonder how this can be done, because electricity is not like water that can be poured into jars when it is free or very cheap. In fact, electricity can also be “poured” into cans. Rechargeable batteries will work here as a water can. Essentially, you need to get 12 Volt batteries, a charger and a voltage converter.

Which organizations should I contact?

If you do find out that your neighbors are stealing electricity, then try to talk to them, since it is not so easy to prove the fact of theft. If the method of theft is to connect to someone else's outlet, then they will blame it on the previous owners or unqualified electricians who repaired the wiring and mixed up the connections.

However, if you decide to call the experts who will determine the fact of theft, then your actions should be as follows:

1. Write a statement to the management company, which is required to carry out regular inspections.
2. Report the incident to energy sales specialists.
3. After the assigned electrician verifies the fact of theft, you should photograph all the evidence and ensure that a theft report is drawn up. Also make sure that witnesses are present and collect supporting signatures from them.
4. Write a statement to the appropriate authorities (court, prosecutor's office).

Qualified electricians detect theft not only by its general signs, but also using devices such as “Stork” or “Poisk”.

Expert opinion

Viktor Pavlovich Strebizh, lighting and electrical expert

Any questions ask me, I will help!

In panel-type houses, a direct connection is installed, then neighbors can run wires not only to the meters, but also to the distribution box. If there is something you don’t understand, write to me!