Comments on: People are climbing electric poles and stealing electricity in Houston http://www.electricity-texas.com/blog/index.php/2007/02/03/people-are-climbing-electric-poles-and-stealing-electricity-in-houston/ Reporting on the Texas Electricity Market Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:14:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Joi http://www.electricity-texas.com/blog/index.php/2007/02/03/people-are-climbing-electric-poles-and-stealing-electricity-in-houston/#comment-157 Joi Sun, 22 Apr 2007 06:49:20 +0000 http://www.electricity-texas.com/blog/?p=10#comment-157 I think this happens worldwide, especially in third world countries. But more and more in the US. I do not condone it, but sometimes people are left with no other choice. In Mexico City, for example, police officers and the power company's inspectors make so much money in bribes that neither has much incentive to shut down the pirates. One small business owner, Mr. Santos, said he set up his newsstand about 1 1/2 years ago. He needed electricity, so he did what his neighbouring vendors did: He bought off a power company worker, who illegally rigged wires from his stand to the main power line. "He charged me 600 pesos (about $ 66), and it went right into his pocket," Santos said. The inspector now comes by every four to six weeks to collect $ 5 to $ 10 from Santos. "I would pay less if I had legal service." Santos said he tried to get legal service but "they ask for a lot of documents we don't have." The power company wanted his most recent electricity bill, said Santos, who explained that he didn't have one -- he was asking for new service. The clerk wouldn't budge. "But I needed electricity, so I paid the bribe," he said. "I understand that this is a service, and that all services should be paid for, but I didn't know what else to do." This is one example among millions. When the system is corrupt, poor people often have no options. I think this happens worldwide, especially in third world countries. But more and more in the US. I do not condone it, but sometimes people are left with no other choice. In Mexico City, for example, police officers and the power company’s inspectors make so much money in bribes that neither has much incentive to shut down the pirates. One small business owner, Mr. Santos, said he set up his newsstand about 1 1/2 years ago. He needed electricity, so he did what his neighbouring vendors did: He bought off a power company worker, who illegally rigged wires from his stand to the main power line.
“He charged me 600 pesos (about $ 66), and it went right into his pocket,” Santos said. The inspector now comes by every four to six weeks to collect $ 5 to $ 10 from Santos. “I would pay less if I had legal service.” Santos said he tried to get legal service but “they ask for a lot of documents we don’t have.”
The power company wanted his most recent electricity bill, said Santos, who explained that he didn’t have one — he was asking for new service. The clerk wouldn’t budge. “But I needed electricity, so I paid the bribe,” he said. “I understand that this is a service, and that all services should be paid for, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

This is one example among millions. When the system is corrupt, poor people often have no options.

]]> By: Sreenivasan http://www.electricity-texas.com/blog/index.php/2007/02/03/people-are-climbing-electric-poles-and-stealing-electricity-in-houston/#comment-2 Sreenivasan Sun, 04 Feb 2007 08:51:13 +0000 http://www.electricity-texas.com/blog/?p=10#comment-2 .Electricity theft is a social evil. Billions of dollars are stolen from the utilities annually. These costs are routinely passed along to the customer in the form of higher rate. Utilities are struggling hard to find ways to combat it. Most of the countries have realized the importance this evil and formulated strict laws to curb theft of electricity. Most countries of the world have treated this as a criminal and cognizable offence. But crooks always have the ability to keep one step ahead of the anti theft system. They stay in business purely through their flair to circumvent any challenge that comes their way. They will always be ahead of the vigilance wing or any Anti power theft detection system. Gone are the days of crude mechanical ways to tamper the meter or divert electricity from main line. The R&D of electricity theft is growing faster than that of the metering mechanism, which was revolusioned with the advent of ICs and Programmable logic circuits. Now power theft using the Remote sensing devices has been developed. The money power involved in this game is beyond imagination. Globally hundreds of million-worth energy is pilfered by these anti social elements I'm a vigilance engineer engaged in detecting power teft for the last 10yreas.I woul like to shaRE MY EXP with any power utility regards Sreenivasan .Electricity theft is a social evil. Billions of dollars are stolen from the utilities annually. These costs are routinely passed along to the customer in the form of higher rate. Utilities are struggling hard to find ways to combat it. Most of the countries have realized the importance this evil and formulated strict laws to curb theft of electricity. Most countries of the world have treated this as a criminal and cognizable offence.
But crooks always have the ability to keep one step ahead of the anti theft system. They stay in business purely through their flair to circumvent any challenge that comes their way. They will always be ahead of the vigilance wing or any Anti power theft detection system. Gone are the days of crude mechanical ways to tamper the meter or divert electricity from main line. The R&D of electricity theft is growing faster than that of the metering mechanism, which was revolusioned with the advent of ICs and Programmable logic circuits. Now power theft using the Remote sensing devices has been developed. The money power involved in this game is beyond imagination. Globally hundreds of million-worth energy is pilfered by these anti social elements
I’m a vigilance engineer engaged in detecting power teft for the last 10yreas.I woul like to shaRE MY EXP with any power utility
regards
Sreenivasan

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