IE stands firm on combating energy theft, reiterates penalties for offenders

Ikeja Electric Plc (IE)has reiterated that offenders caught in the act of energy theft will be immediately charged to court.

The company emphasized that the era of merely imposing loss of revenue (LOR) penalty alone on offenders is over, as it will now enforce the full weight of the law against offenders.

The Company made this announcement at its July Stakeholders Forum, a monthly enlightenment meeting aimed at educating its customers about the company’s activities and laudable initiatives to foster improved service delivery.

Mr. Kingsley Okotie, Ikeja Electric’s Head of Corporate Communication, lamented the increase in energy theft, especially over the last three months following the implementation of the reviewed tariff on Band A feeders. He noted that the company and the entire electricity value chain cannot survive if theft goes unchecked.

“The theft is massive and the company cannot guarantee meeting customer expectations if this ugly trend continues. Ironically, some perpetrators believe that if they haven’t been caught, there are no consequences. This is false, and we must change the narrative,” he said.

Okotie stated that for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to survive, all stakeholders must fight in unison against theft, as the pilfering of electricity hinders the stability of the sector. He emphasized that whatever happens to the Distribution Companies (Discos) affects the entire NESI.

Speaking on strategies to curb theft, the company’s spokesman mentioned that the whistleblowing platform is a very effective way for customers and well-meaning Nigerians to report incidents anonymously. He added that the platform is managed independently of the business, ensuring customers identity remain anonymous and highly confidential.

To reinforce the company’s commitment, IE is incentivizing whistleblowing by rewarding those who report any illegality and theft of electricity. Persons who submit verified reports on Non-Maximum Demand (Residential & SMEs) offenders will get up to 10% of the reconnection fee paid by the offender while for Maximum Demand (Commercial & Industrial) offenders, whistle-blowers will get up to 5% of the reconnection fees paid by the offender.

He further explained that energy theft is a criminal offence under the Electricity Act, attracting a sentence between 6 months to 3 years imprisonment. Interfering with meters or the works of licensees carries a sentence of 3 years imprisonment. Ikeja Electric can, under the law, prosecute people and companies for the criminal offence of energy theft.

In line with regulations stipulated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the NERC Order on unauthorized access, meter tampering, and bypass allows Discos to disconnect customers illegally connected to their network. Reconnection is only possible after offenders have paid for the loss of revenue by paying back-bills established by the Disco, along with reconnection costs and administrative charges.

The IE spokesperson urged customers to take advantage of the new whistleblowing platform to report energy theft.