REPORT. "It's a real business that has taken hold": How Enedis tracks down tampered electricity meters

Caught red-handed. Or rather, caught in the act. To combat Linky meter fraud, Enedis is stepping up its controls, particularly in response to the rise in electricity theft. That day, in front of stunned employees, two Enedis agents, accompanied by police officers, entered a fast-food restaurant in Champigny-sur-Marne, in the Val-de-Marne department. The business was suspected of stealing electricity. They then scanned the premises in search of the Linky box . "I need to see your electricity meter," one of the two agents asked.

The manager isn't there, so an employee contacts him by phone. He's not cooperative at first. "I'll put you through to law enforcement," one of the officers warns. Eventually, the boss gives in.

The box was quickly located and inspected by Enedis agents. And once opened, the findings were clear. : the meter has indeed been tampered with. "I see three blue wires that have been connected between the input and output of the meter. This means that there is a large portion of the electricity passing through these wires and which is not recorded," one of the Enedis agents explains to us. This manipulation allows him to reduce his electricity bill by 80%. "This means that there will be a big drop in electricity consumption and a big drop in bills, that is to say that there is a real benefit for the customer," continues the agent.

More and more individuals and businesses are tampering with their Linky meters, the devices that allow you to read your electricity consumption, to reduce their bills. To stem this phenomenon, Enedis launched a program on Tuesday, March 8th. A major inspection operation to track down meter tampering in businesses began in July. More than a hundred businesses were inspected across France, primarily in the restaurant sector. Fraudulent managers in Champigny face heavy penalties of up to €75,000 in fines and five years in prison.

To track down these power thieves, the electricity grid manager is implementing processes. At headquarters in the La Défense business district, a monitoring unit is underway. Project manager Audrey Hudé monitors automatic alarms in real time on her screen: "For each meter opening, we'll receive an alert about consumption that has suddenly dropped over a long period of time. Each data analyst has a list of processes and will analyze them and be able to determine whether this one is a real suspicion, or whether this one seems normal."

These alerts come from all over France, from both retailers and individuals. "From the end of 2022, we saw a truly viral spread of the fraud phenomenon," explains Bertrand Boutteau, in charge of the anti-fraud program, who does not hesitate to speak of a " real business ." This phenomenon is due in part to the rise in energy prices but also to social networks where tutorials can be found.

"People offer to work on your meter for 400, 500 or 800 euros."

Bertrand Boutteau

to franceinfo

Enedis wants to double the number of its patrol officers from 250 to 500 by 2026 to combat these frauds, which have a cost, not only for the company but also for all of its customers. "It is important to know that electricity fraud costs all consumers several hundred million euros per year ," says Bertrand Boutteau. "Electricity is stolen from Enedis, a regulated company, and because of the regulatory mechanisms, this ultimately ends up in the electricity usage tariff."

Beyond the illegal aspect, Enedis reminds us that these fraudulent practices are also very dangerous. They can pose risks of electrocution or fire.