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1,000 households 'stealing gas' Phoenix gives gas thieves amnesty
(10 minutes later)
About 1,000 households in Belfast are stealing gas, Phoenix gas has said. Customers who admit to stealing gas by tampering with their meters will be given an amnesty, Phoenix Gas has said.
The company is working with councillors to highlight the dangers for those involved in tampering with electronic meters.The company is working with councillors to highlight the dangers for those involved in tampering with electronic meters.
Phoenix General Manager David Strahan said customers who admitted tampering would not be prosecuted, and a debt recovery meter could be fitted. Phoenix General Manager David Strahan said about 1,000 households in Belfast were stealing gas.
"However, if people persist in this activity, it's only a matter of time before they are identified," he warned. "If people persist in this activity, it's only a matter of time before they are identified," he said.
"We can identify from our office, from our billing system, from looking at payment histories, we can identify the people engaged in this activity and we will catch up with them and we will seek to recover the money from them and we will seek to prosecute them.""We can identify from our office, from our billing system, from looking at payment histories, we can identify the people engaged in this activity and we will catch up with them and we will seek to recover the money from them and we will seek to prosecute them."
The issue was raised by PUP leader Dawn Purvis, who said individuals were charging £60 to rig up meters.The issue was raised by PUP leader Dawn Purvis, who said individuals were charging £60 to rig up meters.
"This is incredibly dangerous, as people have been seriously injured in house explosions due to this type of tampering," she said."This is incredibly dangerous, as people have been seriously injured in house explosions due to this type of tampering," she said.
The company said engineers would inspect the electronic meter which records exactly how long the meter has been tampered with, and households would have to pay for the gas they have used.The company said engineers would inspect the electronic meter which records exactly how long the meter has been tampered with, and households would have to pay for the gas they have used.
It believes meter tampering in Belfast is centred on small pockets in the north, west, east and centre of the city, and the likely scale of the problem is less than 1%.It believes meter tampering in Belfast is centred on small pockets in the north, west, east and centre of the city, and the likely scale of the problem is less than 1%.