KUCHING: All landlords are advised to exercise caution and due diligence when renting out their properties in order to protect themselves from unknown illegal activities carried out by their tenants.
Sarawak Energy (SEB) stated that landlords must always register the meter under the tenant’s name to avoid potential liability for electricity theft.
Referring to a recent case, SEB disclosed that the landlord of a residence in Kota Samarahan found out that her tenant had been stealing electricity and using the rented premises to operate a cryptocurrency mining centre.
“While the tenant initially claimed to use the property as a family residence, suspicion arose when the landlord contacted us to disconnect the electricity supply due to unpaid rent.
“A joint operation with the police confirmed that the premises had been used for cryptocurrency mining and direct tapping cables had been used to steal electricity to power such operations,” SEB said on Thursday (Feb 16).
It was estimated that SEB had incurred losses of approximately RM14,000 per month or more than RM170,000 for the past 13 months.
SEB said the cables had been seized and police report had been lodged for further investigation.
SEB also said cryptocurrency mining consumed a large amount of electricity as the servers run non-stop and required a cooling system to prevent overheating.
Commonly utilised in power theft for such energy-intensive operations, non-standard installations can easily overload the electrical system thus raising the risk of short- circuits, appliance damage, fires, and even loss of life.
“Those found guilty of stealing electricity will be charged under Section 33(5) of the Electricity Ordinance, with penalties of up to RM100,000 and or five years in jail.”
Although customers in Sarawak enjoy the extended state government electricity discounts under the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) 9.0 on top of the lowest average tariffs in Malaysia, power thefts continue to occur.
The electricity provider will continue to work with the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication and police to track down and detect more electricity thieves, especially cryptocurrency mining operators.
“Collaboration with agencies such as the Fire and Rescue Department, is also ongoing to raise awareness on safe electricity usage to prevent unwanted fires.”
At the same time, SEB reminded the public not to trust service providers claiming to be able to reduce electricity use or allow premises owners to enjoy unlimited usage of electricity through meter tampering.
“Meter inspection teams are trained to detect various electricity theft methods such as tampered meters, fake electricity meter covers, underground direct tapping, and smart meter indications. This is part of our efforts to curb power theft.”
Those with power theft information are strongly encouraged to contact SEB’s customer care at 1300-88-3111 or email at customercare@sarawakenergy.com
SEB assures that all information received would be kept strictly confidential.
Direct tapping cables (red cables) used to steal electricity to power cryptocurrency mining servers.
