Campaigners warn that more British households are resorting to energy theft as financial pressures mount due to soaring energy bills. Britain’s official energy theft tipoff service estimates that one in every 150 homes has tampered with their energy meters, pipes, or cables to secure energy without payment. These shocking numbers show the horrible choice families across the U.S. are being pushed into as energy costs soar.
Since the onset of the energy crisis in 2021, the number of reports regarding suspected energy theft has increased significantly. Calls to the Crimestoppers hotline on suspected energy theft have skyrocketed, topping out at an all-time high of 1,000 calls per month. This increase marks a two-thirds increase in tipoffs since the onset of the crisis.
Electricity North West delivers electricity to about 5 million people across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria. Each month, the company takes in an average of 900 calls reporting suspected energy theft. The organization predicts that well over 250,000 cases of energy theft go unreported annually. This is a reminder of a larger hidden crisis.
It’s no surprise, then, that the same financial pressures weighing on households are reflected in the increasing levels of debt accumulated on energy bills. Ofgem, the independent regulator for the energy industry in Great Britain, just published its latest stats. They show that typical gas and electricity debt repayment plan arrears for families have risen 5% on last year to £1,296. For households not engaged in repayment plans, the picture has seen a substantial worsening, with average bad debt per household skyrocketing. Electricity debt is up 24% and gas debt is up 26%. The typical electricity bad debt is now £1,617, and £1,376 for gas.
Climate and fuel poverty campaigners have expressed deep concern. They’re worried that increasing numbers of British households will turn to energy theft as energy bill debts soar to unprecedented levels. Great Britain’s total energy debt has skyrocketed to an incredible £3.9 billion. It’s more than twice the level of unpaid bills that were on the books at the onset of the energy crisis. The loss for all energy lost through theft from Great Britain’s energy distribution networks is £1.5 billion per year.
The impacts of the government’s cap on energy prices, now increasing. For the third quarter in a row, it has increased to reach an average of £1,849 a year for a typical household. Meanwhile, gas and electricity prices have skyrocketed. As a consequence, hundreds of thousands of households are currently hacking their meters to avoid paying their bills.
As Hisle touches on, urgency is their kryptonite Matt Copeland underscores the urgency of the situation. He warns that as prices continue to climb and energy debt mounts, vulnerable families will make dangerous decisions just to keep warm and afford their bills. At the same time, he maintains a passionate belief in the necessity of government intervention, imploring policymakers to understand the crisis we face.
“It is important that the UK government recognises this and provides significant support to households to reduce their bills, through the upcoming warm homes plan and financial support this winter,” – Matt Copeland