317 offenders convicted of electricity theft in two years in North-East Bulgaria

8 received effective sentences, 83 conditional

A total of 317 were convicted violators for electricity theft in 2015 and 2016 in North-East Bulgaria according to ENERGO-PRO data. Only 8 of the offenders received effective sentences and another 83 received suspended sentences. All the others were punished with probation.

During the same period, the power distribution company ENERGO-PRO Grids, which serves North-Eastern Bulgaria, has compiled more than 4,600 reports of violations, as a result of which more than 31.6 million kWh of electricity were charged.

Illegal consumption of electricity, which is most often carried out through illegal connection to the network or through impact on electricity meters, is an incriminated act according to Art. 234c of the Criminal Code. The law penalizes the consumption of electricity that is not accounted for by the means of commercial metering and, accordingly, is not paid.

The theft of electricity damages the Bulgarian energy industry and all customers who correctly pay their electricity bills. Very often, illegal connections to the electricity distribution network carry a risk both for the normal functioning of the facilities and for the perpetrators themselves.

ENERGO-PRO continues to make significant efforts and resources to counter the theft of electricity. The employees of the Company are equipped with modern equipment. Programs have been developed to analyze consumption and detect the areas with the highest losses, specialized training of personnel is carried out.

ENERGO-PRO Networks maintains and serves 42,542 km of high, medium and low voltage power distribution network. The licensed territory of the company is nearly 30,000 sq. km and covers 9 administrative districts — Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Razgrad, Ruse, Silistra, Targovishte and Shumen.