Families warned about dangers after convictions recorded
Ciara Galvin
ciaragalvin@mayonews.ie
Increasing numbers of people are risking serious injury by tampering with ESB meters in attempts to reduce their electricity bills.
The matter was brought into focus at last week’s sitting of Ballina District Court where two men were fined for tampering, leaving State Solicitor Vincent Deane to observe that it was ‘only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt’.
When contacted by The Mayo News yesterday (Monday), a spokesperson for the ESB said people should be very aware of the ‘potentially fatal consequences of interfering with a meter’ and added that tampering is a ‘criminal act’ that increases the costs for those who pay for electricity.
State Solicitor Deane said that he has found himself dealing with a ‘disproportionate amount’ of meter tampering cases in recent months in Mayo and national reports suggest that last year alone over 1,000 incidents of meter tampering were recorded.
More convictions recorded
Last week two cases were up before Ballina District Court. William Lawrence of 114, Abbey Court, Ballina, denied any knowledge of tampering with an ESB meter but was convicted and fined €500 for the offence. An ESB employee told the court that on undertaking a revenue protection inspection on the home of Mr Lawrence’s home on July 26, 2012, he found a hole drilled in the meter with wire placed on the in-going and out-going terminal. The ESB employee said that Mr Lawrence could have got a serious injury from interrupting the meter’s recording capacity. Mr Lawrence said he was ‘unaware’ of the tampering and ‘denied any knowledge of it’.
In a similar case at the same court, Martin Collins of 36, Bunree Road, Ballina, was accused of drilling a hole in a meter. The tampered device was first discovered by an ESB employee on July 7, 2012.
The court heard that the damage to the meter amounted to €192 and the related undercharge of over €200 had subsequently been paid by Mr Collins. Judge Devins convicted and fined Mr Collins €300 for the offence.
Speaking about the dangers of the practice, an experienced electrician told The Mayo News that tampering with meters always carries risks and the consequences could potentially even be fatal if the person tampering doesn’t know what they are doing.
No need for tampering
Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday, spokesperson for the Society of the Saint Vincent de Paul, Ballina, Anne Keane, said that although people were coming to the organisation with their ESB bills all the time, the society maintain that there is no need to resort to criminal activity to reduce bills.
“Yes people are absolutely struggling and it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet energy costs but there is no need for doing that (tampering),” said the spokesperson.
Commenting on the practice, Ms Keane said people on low-incomes or on social welfare should pay ESB bills weekly in order to cope with costs or alternatively install a PAYGO meter which allows people to pay for electricity as they use it and also pay off any outstanding debts.
She stated that SDVP believed that those carrying out the criminal act were not people that seek help from the organisation.
“There’s always someone there to help people who are struggling. If people are willing to do their bit then we are willing to help them out,” she added.
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