Ahead of the game

In the last week, energy regulator Ofgem published proposals to combat electricity theft - estimated to cost customers £200m a year.

The regulator requested power firms do more to combat the problem, with a third of the electricity stolen to power cannabis farms.

Cannabis farms require large volumes of electricity to operate. Based on Ofgem's interviews with suppliers and DNOs, recently detected cannabis farms have, on average, an estimated consumption of around 12,000 kWh per month, 40 times the typical domestic consumption of around 300 kWh per month. This consumption is often not paid for, either because it is unrecorded (because of meter tampering) or because the bill is not paid.

Ofgem's proposals include:

•    Setting up an industry code of practice governing how theft investigations should be carried out to ensure there is a consistent approach across the industry
•    Coordinating efforts to tackle theft relating to cannabis farms with other agencies such as the Home Office and local police forces
•    Sharing best practice across the industry about how cases of theft have been identified
•    Setting up a 24-hour hotline to report suspected theft

And where did you read it first? Electrical Review, June 2013.