En esta noticia
Authorities in Illinois maintain an active regulation that requires the companies responsible for measuring electricity consumption to inspect meters—usually placed outside homes—for signs of tampering, energy theft, or illegal connections.
This regulation, which is included among the rules of the Illinois Administrative Code, seeks to ensure the integrity of electric metering systems and sets out the protocols that must be followed when irregularities are detected at a property.
Meters will be inspected door by door to cut off service to those who have illegal electricity and connections
The regulation states that all metering service providers (MSPs in English) must carry out inspections of the places where the meters are located.
What technicians will look for
- Meter tampering
- Energy theft
- Illegal or clandestine connections
- Security breaches in metering equipment
If, during an inspection, any condition that may be linked to service theft is detected, the company must immediately notify the electric distribution provider.
What steps to follow if an illegal connection is detected
In these cases, the company must report the following points no later than one business day afterward
- A description of the evidence found
- The actions taken by the metering provider
- Contact information at the inspected location
- The meter and associated account details
In addition, it is indicated that the metering provider must cooperate with the electric service companies to determine what the appropriate corrective measure would be.
If the situation is not corrected within the 10 business days afterward, the electric distribution provider may remove and replace the meter or affected equipment to put an end to the illegal practice.
The removed meter may be kept as evidence if an investigation for service theft is carried out.
Key information about this official measure
The regulation establishes that it is not enough to suspect tampering or a clandestine connection; it must be proven
- That the meter was tampered with
- That the customer benefited from that tampering
- That any rebilling carried out is reasonable
If all of this is evidenced, the companies will coordinate corrective actions and service use may be compromised during the process.