Theft: Best practice

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Theft Best practice

• 15th June 2009

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Best practice should extend across the process

• Investigation and detection.
• Data collection.
• Reconnection.
• These agreed actions should be contained within a
  Code of Practice.
• The Code of Practice should sit within an area of
  governance with assurance processes to ensure
  compliance.

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Make safe

• Where theft is discovered and the meter or
  pipework has been interfered with, the supply
  should be disconnected immediately.
• Safety is paramount.
• Theft of gas is committed by tampering with or
  bypassing the gas installation(s) on site. This
  act is (by its very nature) liable to result in
  safety issues on site.
• Gas leaking during or following the tamper or
  bypass.
• Inherent controls of the installation equipment
  being circumvented.
• Risk to the perpetrator and their family /
  employees and those living in the immediate
  vicinity.

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Costs borne by those that steal

• Suppliers should pursue the thief for the
  assessed value of gas stolen and the costs of the
  associated investigation.
• In order to deter people from stealing gas, a
  situation must be reached where there is no
  profit to be made from theft.
• This will also ensure that the costs of theft are
  met by those who commit it, and are not passed on
  to other, law abiding, customers.
• Reconnection should only follow once appropriate
  repayment arrangements have been made.
• Payment of costs should be made in full, unless
  exceptional circumstances (e.g. vulnerability).

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Ensure no illegal reconnection

• Where a customer has demonstrated both the means
  and know-how to steal gas, it is possible that
  they will re-offend at some point in future.
• Especially true if they remain disconnected for a
  period of time after the detection whilst charges
  are recovered.
• Suppliers should revisit the premises within a
  reasonable period of time after the detection in
  order to ensure the customer has not committed a
  subsequent act of theft.
• Failure to do this will
• Present a significant safety issue for those
  living in the immediate vicinity.
• Result in an increase in the amount of theft and
  therefore the costs borne by law abiding
  customers.

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Collect and report data

• When theft is detected, it is important that
  information relating to that detection is shared
  throughout the industry.
• Transparency of suppliers actions in detecting
  theft within the industry.
• Enable a picture of where theft is perpetrated,
  how it occurs, whether theft is increasing or
  decreasing, the value of theft detected and how
  each of these items changes over time.
• This information will be vital in informing the
  proactive theft detection strategies of all
  suppliers.
• Items to be collected referenced in this groups
  work on Information Sharing.

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Networks collate and issue data

• Once data is collected, it is important that it
  is then collated in to usable reports and
  provided back to the industry.
• Transparency over who is doing what in terms of
  theft detection
• Provide a picture of where theft is perpetrated,
  how theft occurs, whether theft is increasing or
  decreasing, and the value of theft detected.
• This information is vital if proactive theft
  detection strategies are to be properly informed.
• Costs incurred can be recoverable from shippers?

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Enable theft reporting

• Routes to report theft not well known right now.
• Suppliers should provide and advertise the means
  for members of the public to report theft.
• Potential for one national number, funded by
  industry?
• This will not only enable suppliers to be
  reactive as well as proactive in their detection
  activities, but also serve to publicise the issue
  of theft more widely.

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Stolen meters

• Stolen meters are circulated widely, and can be
  used to replace the official meter during the
  course of the theft of gas.
• When a supplier or their agent identifies that a
  meter has been stolen or has been mislaid, they
  must make that information public in order to
  aide future theft detection.
• Stolen Meters register should be created and
  maintained.
• This will assist suppliers in assessing whether a
  found meter is on site as a result of theft or
  a previously unknown meter exchange.
• When a supplier finds a stolen meter it is
  important that it is recovered and returned to
  the owner in order to prevent its use in future
  theft.

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Landlords responsibility

• Where a tenant absconds following a theft, the
  landlord should be held accountable for the costs
  associated with the theft.
• Little difference between meter interference and
  other damages to fixtures and fittings.
• Prevents landlords turning a blind eye to the
  crimes of their tenants.
• Prevents the excuse that the theft was the
  responsibility of a fictional ex-tenant.