What is energy theft and how can you report it?

What is energy theft?

Energy theft involves someone intentionally stealing electricity or gas, or paying less than they should, by tampering with or bypassing their own meter.

It might never have crossed your mind, but the charity Stay Energy Safe received 13,415 reports of energy theft in the year 2024/2025. And it believes that up to 250,000 cases of energy theft may go unreported each year.

It’s estimated that energy theft is costing UK energy suppliers up to £1.4 billion a year and inevitably those costs get passed on to consumers – potentially adding up to £50 a year to our household bills.

Electricity theft isn’t just a financial issue, it’s also dangerous. It can cause injury and, in severe cases, even death. That’s because electricity theft often leaves wires exposed, which can cause fatal electric shocks, serious burns and start electrical fires.

And gas theft can cause leaks that lead to unconsciousness and respiratory problems as well as catastrophic fires and explosions.

With that in mind, investigating potential energy theft in your own home should be approached with extreme caution. In fact, it’s far better to let the authorities deal with it instead.

How to tell if someone is stealing your electricity

You may be able to tell if someone is stealing electricity from your meter by looking at your bill.

If you notice that your usage starts to increase or decrease without any other explanation, there’s a chance that someone has tampered with the electricity meter.

However, it’s important to first rule out other reasons for a high energy bill.

If theft of electricity is indeed to blame, there’ll often be other clues. Signs that someone is stealing electricity may include:

• Changes to your wiring – take a look at the wire that runs between your meter and your house (but don’t touch it). If you notice anything odd, like extra wires or connector clips, there’s a chance that someone’s tampered with it. Also, be on the look-out for any wires connecting your home to your neighbour’s.

• Damage to your meter – look out for things like scorch or burn marks, a burning smell, loose or strange wiring, or even sparks. This is a strong indication that your meter has been tampered with.

• Your meter acting strangely – if your meter keeps running even after you switch off your circuit breakers, it’s an indication that something is taking power from between the electric panel and the meter itself. If the numbers on the dial are moving the wrong way, or not at all, this could be a sign of a tampered electric meter.

• Sparks and shocks in the home – if you’re seeing sparks from sockets in your home, or getting electric shocks from appliances, your taps, bath or shower, it could be linked to electricity theft.

If you smell smoke, see fire or your meter is smoking or sparking consistently, call 999 immediately and ask for the fire service.

How can I tell if my gas meter has been tampered with?

Some of the signs of tampering with a gas supply or meter, according to energy charity Stay Energy Safe, are:

• A smell of gas around your meter or in your home

• A meter turned around the wrong way

• Rubber tubes instead of proper piping, or extra metal pipes

• No visible dial on the meter

• Dials not turning, even when gas is being used

• No credit showing on the meter but the gas is still working.

You may also notice more subtle signs of gas theft, like the flames on your hob or fire changing colour, from blue to yellow, or changing size.

Your pilot light may go out more often, too. These are signs of a possible carbon monoxide leak in your home.

Gas leaks are extremely dangerous. Leaking gas fumes inside your home can cause headaches and lead to loss of consciousness. And because gas is highly flammable, it can also lead to explosions.

See our guide to what to do if you smell gas.

How to report someone stealing electricity and gas

It’s important to alert the relevant authorities because energy theft can make meters unsafe. You can get the ball rolling by:

• Submitting an anonymous tip-off online, via the Stay Energy Safe website or by calling Stay Energy Safe on 0800 023 2777 – you’re guaranteed 100% anonymity. They will report the issue to the relevant authorities for investigation.

Other options include:

• Contacting your energy supplier directly, to report the issue. You should find their contact details on your bill. Find out who supplies your energy.

• If you’re in Northern Ireland, calling the UK Revenue Protection Association (UKRPA) on 028 9592 0125 or completing their online fraud report form.

• Calling the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 or using the online chat service on their website.

Who’s most at risk from energy theft?

Unfortunately, nobody’s completely safe. Any home or business could potentially be a victim of energy theft, whether you’re in the city or in a small rural village.

Energy regulator Ofgem has set out rules that require energy suppliers to play an active role in detecting, investigating and preventing the theft of electricity.

But everyone needs to be on their guard against energy theft, especially amid the cost-of-living crisis when people may be driven to take drastic measures to save money on their bills.

What are the penalties for energy theft?

Tampering with a utility meter is a criminal offence. The penalties vary according to the severity of the crime, but anyone found guilty may face huge fines and prison sentences.

Some examples of electricity theft punishments handed out by UK courts include a pub landlord who was jailed for manslaughter after his energy theft led to the death of a young boy, and a London man being fined £50,000 and sent to prison for damaging the power supply to more than 15,000 homes.

While in Scotland, a man caught bypassing an electric meter to save money ended up causing his mother’s death after an electrical spark caused a fire, Stay Energy Safe reports.