• 3 minutes e-car sales collapse
  • 6 minutes America Is Exceptional in Its Political Divide
  • 11 minutes Perovskites, a ‘dirt cheap’ alternative to silicon, just got a lot more efficient
  • 4 mins GREEN NEW DEAL = BLIZZARD OF LIES
  • 2 days How Far Have We Really Gotten With Alternative Energy
  • 2 hours If hydrogen is the answer, you're asking the wrong question
  • 3 days Oil Stocks, Market Direction, Bitcoin, Minerals, Gold, Silver - Technical Trading <--- Chris Vermeulen & Gareth Soloway weigh in
  • 5 days The European Union is exceptional in its political divide. Examples are apparent in Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Netherlands, Belarus, Ireland, etc.
  • 15 hours Biden's $2 trillion Plan for Insfrastructure and Jobs
  • 4 days "What’s In Store For Europe In 2023?" By the CIA (aka RFE/RL as a ruse to deceive readers)
ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge

The leading economics blog online covering financial issues, geopolitics and trading.

More Info

Premium Content

UK Electricity Theft Breaks Records As Energy Bills Soar

  • The average annual UK gas and electricity bill rose from £1,400 in October 2021 to £2,000.
  • Analysts are predicting that average energy bills could climb even higher, with the lowest forecast sitting at a whopping £3,358.
  • The UK Home Office has reported a record number of people stealing electricity in England and Wales over the past year.

A record number of people stole electricity in England and Wales last year, according to new figures released by the Home Office.

Police forces received 3,600 reports of “dishonest use of electricity” in the 12 months to March 2022, an increase of 13 percent on the previous year and the highest level since records began in 2013.

It comes after a protest website launched recently urging people not to pay their electricity bills from October.

The average annual UK gas and electricity bill rose from £1,400 in October 2021 to £2,000, after the government removed a price cap, which limited how much suppliers could charge customers.

Another hefty rise is expected in October 2022.

It was originally predicted average energy bills could reach £2,800 in the autumn but the latest forecast is £3,358.

Rishi Sunak Promises to Scrap VAT on Fuel Bills

Last month former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who is battling Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to become the new leader of the Conservative Party, promised to scrap VAT on domestic fuel bills next year if he becomes prime minister.

He said: “With the price cap expected to rise above £3,000 in October, I will move immediately to scrap VAT on everyone’s domestic energy bills for the next year, saving the average household £160.”

Truss has not spelled out any concrete measures on the cost of living crisis but said this week: “As Prime Minister, I’d use an emergency Budget to kickstart my plan to get our economy growing and offer immediate help to people struggling with their bills.”

Peter Smith, the director of policy and advocacy at the National Energy Action campaign group, said: “This is not only illegal but dangerous too, and it’s horrifying if the crisis is forcing households to try this to keep the lights on. And this is happening now, before winter and the cold weather hits.”

Almost a third—1,100—of the thefts occurred between January and March, double the number recorded over the previous two winters.

Smith said: “More support is desperately needed to close this gap and help the most vulnerable keep themselves warm and safe this winter.”

Electricity theft is usually carried out by tampering with the supply or bypassing a meter, and it is extremely hazardous.

The maximum punishment in law is five years in prison but in 57 percent of cases last year no suspect was identified and only seven percent resulted in someone being charged or summonsed.

ADVERTISEMENT

A spokesman for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets said: “Under no circumstances should consumers attempt to connect electricity meters themselves.”

A government spokesman told PA it was providing £37 billion to help households with the cost of living and added: “We are committed to cracking down on crime, including the criminal theft of electricity, which causes serious injury to people and damage to property.”

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:


Download The Free Oilprice App Today

Back to homepage





Leave a comment

Leave a comment




EXXON Mobil -0.35
Open57.81 Trading Vol.6.96M Previous Vol.241.7B
BUY 57.15
Sell 57.00
Oilprice - The No. 1 Source for Oil & Energy News