Tamper with meter, go to prison - IBEDC warns against energy theft

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has warned against energy theft, urging customers to refrain from meter tampering and other illegal activities that could jeopardise service quality.

The Coordinating Head of Corporate Services at IBEDC, Angela Olanrewaju, issued the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Friday.

She stated that IBEDC imposes sanctions for energy theft, as provided by relevant laws, which enable the company to take punitive measures against offenders through both criminal and administrative channels.

According to her, offenders face between three and five years imprisonment, or a fine for electricity meter bypass, tampering and other unauthorised connections to power lines or grids.

“Energy theft is bypass of meters, line tapping or unauthorised connection to power and non-payment or vending.

“IBEDC is empowered to disconnect offenders without notice and also offenders will bear the costs, including meter replacement, reconnection charges, and administrative fines,”she said.

Olanrewaju added that IBEDC has adopted a multi-layered strategy to discourage meter tampering and illegal connections.

She further stated that tampering with meters could pose fire risks or electrocution, noting that such tampering deprives the value chain of funds intended for improving power supply, investing in infrastructure, and providing better service.

“Since early 2024, we have been working closely with the Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences (SIPTEO) to identify, investigate, and prosecute meter tampering, bypass, and illegal reconnection.

“We are deploying standard meter installation to keep meters out of the reach of customers, we are also deploying smart meters to monitor and detect infractions through Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI),”she said.

Olanrewaju said that the company had advanced its goal of ensuring every customer got a prepaid meter by leveraging various metering initiatives in the power sector.

These initiatives include Presidential Metering Initiative-PMI; Disco Sector Recovery Programme-(DISREP) ; Meter Acquisition Fund-MAF; Rollout scheme (DisCo & Vendor financing).

“Others include Meter Asset Provider (MAP), where customers can apply via IBEDC’s official portal, receive meter IDs, pay, and expect installation within 10 working days

“These coordinated efforts have helped IBEDC install tens of thousands of meters and set it on a path toward achieving over 60 per cent metering coverage by the end of 2025, “she said.