The Department of Energy Inspection, a specialized structure within Delgaz Grid, identified in the first nine months of 2024 a number of 1,024 cases of fraudulent consumption, of which 436 in the natural gas distribution system, and 588 in the electricity distribution system.

While the number of fraud cases in the natural gas segment decreased by 36%, in the electricity segment they increased by 31%. In the analyzed period, the amount of energy stolen in the 1,024 cases amounts to about 15.3 million kWh, with a value of about 6.9 million lei.

For comparison, this amount is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of household consumers in a locality the size of the Pașcani municipality or of natural gas in a locality the size of the city of Azuga.

Clandestine installations used, unauthorized interventions on connections and natural gas/electricity meters can lead to incidents with the most serious consequences, ignored primarily by those who believe that in this way they can benefit from free energy.

The performance of distribution networks is affected by improvisations and clandestine installations, by the amount of unmetered energy. As well as the protections and automations that are designed and regulated taking into account a known, declared consumption. In the case of fraud, the consumption is not known and then the networks do not work at normal parameters either, with honest consumers who pay their bills regularly also suffering.

Fraudulent consumption also means financial losses for the company, but also increased expenses for consumers. Illegal interventions affect honest consumers through interruptions in the distribution service and/or non-compliant parameters of the supplied energy and natural gas.