Recorded incidents of Energy Thefts from 2017 to 2021

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.027118

I note you seek access to the following information:

- Property stolen of WD - Gas/electricity meter/vending machine or WG -Fuel/power e.g. coal/petrol/calor gas etc. Not batteries and/or Home Office code 043/00 - dishonest use of /abstracting electricity.

- They are also able to do a count of Property, count of Offences, People Proceeded Against (not convictions that is the CPS) by proceedings type, and Victims by injury (including fatal) of the above codes only.

Clarification - 
Please can you proceed as you have suggested. Please can you split by the differing property stolen codes WD and WG, and HO code 043/00

Original Request
Freedom of Information Request - RECCo - Impact of Energy Theft
(Please note - this is part 1 with questions 1 to 6 of 11 questions. Submitted in 2 parts due to restrictions on online form) To Whom it May Concern The Retail Energy Code Company Limited (RECCo) is an independent, proactive and forward-looking non-profit company set up by the energy regulator Ofgem to manage the Retail Energy Code . Its aims are to simplify, improve and facilitate innovation in the retail energy market promoting positive outcomes for consumers whilst making the market work more efficiently.

Energy theft is where somebody tampers or interferes with a gas or electricity meter or the supply of gas or electricity to that meter so that it does not properly record the energy use. Energy theft is illegal and can be very dangerous.
As well as the financial implications, energy theft can cause damage to property, fires, explosions, serious injuries and tragically, sometimes fatalities.
One of the responsibilities given to RECCo and set out within the Retail Energy Code is to develop an energy theft reduction strategy.

As part of that strategy development, we want to understand the impact energy theft has on the health and safety of consumers and the public.
We would like any information you hold on the following questions for the period of 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021.

Your organisation may not record and hold information covering all the questions, please answer N/A for any that you do not have any relevant data. The full list of questions we are requesting information on have been included to provide context for the data we are seeking to obtain.

1. Number of deaths, split by year, caused by electrocution or fire due to interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable and general geo-location of each death.
2. Number of deaths, split by year, caused by gas exposure, gas explosion or fire due to interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe and general geo-location of each death.
3. Number of injuries, split by year, caused by electrocution or fire due to interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable and severity and general geo-location of each injury.
4. Number of injuries, split by year, caused by gas exposure, gas explosion or fire due to interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe and severity and general geo-location of each injury.
5. Number of reported crimes to the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
6. Number of crimes investigated by the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.

Freedom of Information Request - RECCo - Impact of Energy Theft
(Please note - this is part 2 with questions 7 to 11 of 11 questions. Submitted in 2 parts due to restrictions on online form) To Whom it May Concern The Retail Energy Code Company Limited (RECCo) is an independent, proactive and forward-looking non-profit company set up by the energy regulator Ofgem to manage the Retail Energy Code . Its aims are to simplify, improve and facilitate innovation in the retail energy market promoting positive outcomes for consumers whilst making the market work more efficiently.

Energy theft is where somebody tampers or interferes with a gas or electricity meter or the supply of gas or electricity to that meter so that it does not properly record the energy use. Energy theft is illegal and can be very dangerous.
As well as the financial implications, energy theft can cause damage to property, fires, explosions, serious injuries and tragically, sometimes fatalities.
One of the responsibilities given to RECCo and set out within the Retail Energy Code is to develop an energy theft reduction strategy.
As part of that strategy development, we want to understand the impact energy theft has on the health and safety of consumers and the public.
We would like any information you hold on the following questions for the period of 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021.

Your organisation may not record and hold information covering all the questions, please answer N/A for any that you do not have any relevant data. The full list of questions we are requesting information on have been included to provide context for the data we are seeking to obtain.
7. Number of cautions given by the police relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
8. Number of prosecutions attempted by the CPS relating to relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
9. Number of prosecutions the CPS that were successful relating to energy or gas theft, dishonest use or abstraction of electricity, interference or damage to electricity or gas meters and/or incoming cables or pipes, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
10. Number of fires or explosions attended where the cause may be attributed to the interference or damage to the electricity metering installation and/or incoming supply cable, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.
11. Number of fires or explosions attended where the cause may be attributed to the interference or damage to the gas metering installation and/or incoming supply pipe, split by year, and general geo-location of each instance.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

The searches located some information relevant to your request. Please note that searches failed to locate any information in relation to the dishonest use of gas (WD - Gas/electricity meter/vending machine or WG -Fuel/power e.g. coal/petrol/calor gas etc). therefore this information is not held by the MPS.

Data collated shows the number of recorded crimes in relation to the dishonest use of electricity, and the outcomes for HO code 043/00.