Eskom has urged people to stop tampering with electricity meters, warning the practice is a criminal offence that puts lives at risk and costs the power utility billions every year.
“Meter tampering or bypassing is when the customer tampers with the electricity meter so it stops working completely or does not register the electricity the house or building uses,” said Eskom.
“This is theft. People found guilty can be prosecuted and face massive fines. If Eskom sees a specific meter is consuming electricity, but the customer is not buying electricity or they buy much less than the house should consume, it indicates the meter has been tampered with, or the customer is buying illegal prepaid vouchers from crime syndicates,” the utility said.
Eskom said technicians are dispatched to audit meters suspected of being tampered with, and if evidence of tampering is found the company may remove its infrastructure and open criminal cases against those involved.
The utility also highlighted the serious dangers created by meter tampering.
Meter tampering or bypassing is when the customer tampers with the electricity meter so it stops working completely or does not register the electricity the house or building uses
— Eskom
“If a person has tampered with the meter and there is an electrical fault inside the house or business, it will not be picked up and the electricity supply will stay on without tripping. This is very dangerous for people in the building and can result in electrocution or a fire,” said Eskom.
It also warned customers not to fall for scams.
“If somebody offers to make changes on your meter and asks for payment, you should know it's illegal,” said Eskom.
The appeal comes amid escalating costs related to vandalism and theft of Eskom infrastructure. The power utility reported that between April 2024 and the end of February 2025 vandalism and theft cost it about R221m.
The figure, while lower than the R271m recorded during the same period the year before, represents a major challenge.
Eskom’s group executive for distribution Monde Bala called on South Africans to help protect the infrastructure that powers their communities.
“We urge communities to play a role in safeguarding the infrastructure that delivers electricity to their homes and businesses. Reliable electricity is essential for daily life, preserving food, cooking, heating, lighting and enabling children to study after dark. Protecting the infrastructure is a shared responsibility,” said Bala.
Reliable electricity is essential for daily life, preserving food, cooking, heating, lighting and enabling children to study after dark. Protecting the infrastructure is a shared responsibility
— Eskom’s group executive for distribution Monde Bala
He said vandalism often leads to unplanned power outages, leaving households and businesses in the dark for extended periods.
“The restoration process can be prolonged, particularly when essential infrastructure such as transformers or high-voltage breaker components is damaged as these items can take weeks to replace,” said Bala.
Eskom has also flagged a troubling rise in theft-related incidents, including the removal of pylon steel structures, illegal sand mining around pylons and the siphoning of oil from transformers, crimes that not only disrupt supply but also create severe safety hazards.
Suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu revealed in a parliamentary question and answer that 1,111 people were arrested and prosecuted for illegal electricity connections during the 2022/23 financial year.
He said Eskom lost an estimated R5.6bn due to illegal connections and related criminal activities in that year.
“Pay for the electricity you use every day,” said Eskom.
TimesLIVE
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