With electricity prices soaring, some users are tempted to tamper with their Linky meter to lower their bill. But be careful, because Enedis has a secret weapon to spot fraudsters from a distance!
Electricity prices continue to rise at an astonishing speed, with more than 25% increase in 2023! Between the scheduled end of the price shield and the new increases in February 2024, we are all very worried about our electricity bills, which are turning out to be steep. Obviously, everyone is looking to save money. While this generally involves small, everyday actions, some may be tempted to opt for the illegal route. Indeed, you may be tempted to commit fraud to reduce your bill, by carrying out various manipulations on your Linky meter – the smart electric meter from Enedis, the manager of the electricity distribution network in France, which transmits and receives data to distance. The process is known: install an electrical bypass in the device in order to distort your electricity consumption – up to 70%! –, making it much lower than it should be.
Let’s say it clearly: don’t embark on this kind of adventure, because it could cost you dearly! Tampering with a Linky meter is both dangerous and completely illegal! This type of intervention on a power line is a delicate operation, reserved for specialized technicians, which exposes you to the risk of electrocution, and even fire. And you could get into big trouble with the law.
Because the falsification of electricity meters constitutes a violation of Enedis’ property rights, while the misappropriation of energy is considered theft, or even fraud. Also, such practices are punishable by heavy criminal penalties of up to one million euros fine and ten years of imprisonment. These sanctions may concern individuals illegally modifying network works, but also customers accepting the implementation of these frauds.
And you can be sure that Enedis will be informed if you commit fraud! Éric Solomon, the company’s customer director, revealed to Le Parisien that “Linky is extremely sophisticated, it has several dozen automatic alarms. And if the meter is modified in any way, [Enedis] will know in real time”. Once the alert is triggered, some 250 agents assisted by AI analyze consumption trends. “With artificial intelligence, we can even compare the consumption of a home with others of the same type in France or in the same neighborhood: this allows us to detect anomalies, even slight ones”, he explains. In short, don’t try this game, you risk a lot!