Tackling power theft

As if it were not bad enough that some people “steal” water from mains supplying the precious resource to people, the same is happening with electricity.

The authorities discovered no less than 141 cases of power theft during the recent heatwave that hit the country. 

All these violations were committed when the national power grid registered an unprecedented load of 3,300 megawatts during the hot spell. 

Although the capacity of the national grid stands at 4,000 MW, no doubt the “theft” of electricity by some people strained its capacity to the limit, with power outages registered in several areas. 

The Energy and Mineral Resources Regulatory Commission has notified the legal departments of power companies about the infringements and legal measures will be taken against violators, according to its chief commissioner.

In June, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour called for addressing electricity theft and violations to reduce the losses incurred and ensure respect of the law, after which the commission launched a campaign to encourage the public to reduce power consumption and highlight the dangers and consequences of power theft.
Current laws stipulate that anyone caught stealing electricity is subject to between six months and two years in prison and a fine ranging between JD2,000 and JD10,000, or both penalties. 

The punishment apparently isn’t harsh enough to deter power thieves, as 3,547 cases of electricity theft were recorded over a one-year period since June last year.

This could mean that stricter laws are required to protect the power grid and stiffer measures must be adopted to combat this growing menace in a country that imports about 97 per cent of its energy needs at a high cost. 

The need for more effective supervision and vigilance over our water and electricity resources has, therefore, become urgent.