Member Article

Energy suppliers forced to tackle cannabis farms

Energy regulator Ofgem wants suppliers to take action to prevent customers paying the price for stolen power used in cannabis farms.

Ofgem say around 25,000 cases of energy theft occur each year, at an estimated cost of £200m or £7 per customer.

Electricity suppliers claim one third of the amount stolen is used to power cannabis farms.

Under the proposals, suppliers would be obligated to set up a ‘national theft risk assessment service’ that would target residences where there is a strong suspicion that electricity is being stolen.

The rules will be enforceable and suppliers could face fines if they fail to adhere.

Andrew Wright, Ofgem chief executive, said: “Ofgem wants to make sure that consumers are paying no more than they need to for their electricity, and lives are not put at risk. It’s critical that suppliers do all they can to clamp down on electricity theft. This is why Ofgem is introducing new rules to encourage better theft detection.

“The reforms build on similar obligations we introduced at the start of this year for suppliers to address gas theft more vigorously. All these measures will help to improve the confidence of consumers, who want reassurance that the energy market is fair.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .