Electricity theft is a crime, legally defined in most jurisdictions as “theft of services” or a similar offense, making it a matter for law enforcement. Whether organised crime groups or lower-level offenders, criminals can often work undisturbed through the night, causing significant physical and financial damage in just a few hours. Just this March and April (2025), the UK has seen a “significant rise” in crime at UK solar projects, with 11 reported incidents compared with just three reported. This act, known as electricity theft, involves someone tapping into your power supply without your consent, leading to unexpectedly high utility bills. The energy crisis has caused a spike in the theft of solar panels as people desperately try to keep bills down, new data shows. Criminals now target solar panels almost as much as cables and copper wires, with a large number of solar farms struck more than once this year. 5 million worth of equipment was stolen and resold. According to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the average cost of.
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