Volume 5: Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions: Part IV

What Oils the Wheel of Electricity Theft- Perspective of Indian Discoms Tanushree Sharma, Krishan Kumar Pandey

Abstract

Electricity thefts in connivance with employees of electricity distribution companies, remain the Achille’s heel of power sector, addressing which continue to be the holy grail. The lackluster performance of technological measures to curb electricity thefts highlights the need to investigate the human aspectstoo. That’s what this study aims at. The findings, grounded in the responses of the nineteen employees of the Indian electricity distribution companies, detail the factors that induce employees to collude with consumers in electricity theft.

Keywords Power distribution companies, Commercial losses, Electricity theft, Non-technical reasons for electricity theft, Theft in connivance with employees