Meter tampering has been on the rise, partly driven by the perceived high cost of electricity and water exacerbated by the country’s ongoing economic challenges. It is a lack of consumption control for a utility company and a main problem because it represents an important loss of income.
The impact is permanently damaging financially and sometimes in terms of safety. Those using limitless electricity and water without paying for it add to the rising costs because more is being used than paid for. This misconduct goes against the Lesotho Electricity and Water Authority (LEWA)’s duty to ensure the operation and development of safe, efficient and economic electricity and water sectors in Lesotho.
Electricity meter tampering is an illegal act of interfering, bypassing or manipulating electricity meters to avoid paying for electricity or reducing bills. It is also known as electricity theft. An electricity meter is used to measure the amount of electricity supplied to a residential or commercial building.
Water meter tampering, on the other hand, includes unauthorized manipulation, alteration, adjustment, and/or re-arrangement of water meter parts and accessories with the intent of distorting, disabling, or otherwise inhibiting in any manner or form the proper mechanical functioning of the same as well as the unauthorised relocation of the water meter.
Tampering with meters is illegal and carries serious consequences, including fines, potential criminal prosecution, and service disruptions, as well as the cost of repairs and meter replacement. Tampering can lead to interruptions in water and electricity services, affecting not only the violator but also the surrounding community. The methods used to tamper with meters vary from simple tricks like inserting foreign objects to more sophisticated techniques involving magnetic fields or electronic devices. Techniques may include the following:
• Bypassing the meter to connect directly to supply;
• Using magnets to make the meter under-record
consumption;
• Altering internal components; and
• Using electronic devices to interfere with smart
meters, etc.
The consequences of tampering are severe, leading to significant revenue losses, service disruptions, and safety hazards that endanger utility workers and the public. Tampered electricity meters can cause short circuits and fires, injuring or killing people and damaging property. Furthermore, unreported electricity consumption can overload the power grid, leading to outages and infrastructure damage.
Tampered wiring can also make switches and appliances dangerous to touch. One of the most critical dangers of tampering is the risk it poses during maintenance or repairs. Utility workers may unknowingly work on live wires, believing the poweris disconnected, which can result in severe injuries or even fatalities.
Customers are therefore made aware that unlawful use and consumption of electricity and water through illegal bypass gadgetry is a punishable criminal offence and should be avoided. Meter tampering is a serious safety hazard to people, animals and environment, and can sometimes result in electrocution or fire. Once LEC and WASCO becomeaware of tampering activities, the Companies must immediately disconnect supply.
