Enedis reinforces anti-fraud checks on Linky meters in France

A crackdown on ‘electricity thieves’ is underway in France as the number of people who tamper with their meters is on the rise. 

Property owners and businesses alike are altering their ‘Linky meters’ - with homes without the device now facing extra fees - to make it appear as though they have used less electricity than they actually have.

These meters are amended, usually with the addition of extra wires to circumnavigate the reader and ‘siphon off’ used electricity so it does not read on the meter, in turn lowering bills.

The measure can lower the recorded electricity consumption of a property, reducing electricity bills by making it seem as if property owners are using less electricity than they actually are. 

However, those caught face fines of up to €75,000 and a five-year prison sentence.

According to electrical grid operator Enedis, more than 100,000 meters have been tampered with over the past three years in France. 

In some cases, owners may not even know they are committing a crime. Scammers charge a fee to households to alter the boxes and claim the measures are legal, even if they are not.

Reports suggest that the amount of electricity usage not recognised in this way is equal to the amount consumed by the department of Charente. 

Enedis (also responsible for the installation and maintenance of Linky meters) is cracking down on the practice, doubling the number of inspectors checking that boxes are being used correctly. 

Dangerous and costly to ‘steal’ electricity

The checks are important for maintaining the health of France’s electrical network. 

Linky meters show real-time electricity usage for properties and can be recorded remotely by Enedis staff as well as property owners or tenants. 

While this allows people to manage their consumption and save money, it also provides Enedis with precise information on how much electricity is needed in certain areas. 

If people in an area are misrepresenting their consumption Enedis will be providing less power than is required, leading to potential power outages or damage to the network’s infrastructure. 

‘Several hundred million euros’ is thought to have been wrongly under-billed which can increase costs for those who do pay correctly. 

Although the scams are complex to set up once in place it is difficult for Enedis to detect them, particularly if only around 10% - 15% of the usage is being concealed (which resembles a household or business trying to reduce its energy consumption). 

The meters remain controversial, particularly over perceived health issues for some users, which has led to an ongoing court case.