RecoverIR™ Announces Breakthrough Capabilities for Detecting Utility Energy Theft

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While President Obama is in Copenhagen, RecoverIR™ Works Here in the USA to Help Slow Global Warming by Cutting the Equivalent of a Month’s Oil from Saudi Arabia!

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Energy Theft – In the News

Energy theft is one of the costliest types of theft in the United States. The FBI and International Utilities Revenue Protection Association estimates that losses due to energy theft are at $6 billion in the US. Power thefts rise as consumers struggle to make ends meet.

AGA Magazine article “Stop Thief!” (PDF, article on page 5 –June 2009 issue of AGA’s American Gas Magazine) about finding natural gas thieves.

USA Today examined a growing, dangerous trend: Americans stealing electricity as power rates rise, money dries up, and families struggle to make ends meet. Wrote the newspaper: "They're using a wide array of tactics. Some run wires from utility lines directly into a circuit-breaker panel, bypassing the electric meter. Others attach cables on either side of a meter, swipe meters from vacant houses when theirs are removed or tamper with meters to lower their electric bills." 

“Man admits illegal tap into natural gas line” (The Buffalo News 11/10/09).

“50 Unit Apartment Owner Stole $50,000 of Natural Gas from 2002-2007, Bypass Valve System Illegally Installed >$50,000 without considering rate increases, Circumvented meter – registers less (Daily Times Chronicle).

John Hammerberg, investigations supervisor for Tampa Electric (TECO) was quoted as saying: "We're finding more and more people are stealing electricity because of the poor economy."

"American Electric (AEP) has investigated 3,196 cases of theft in Jan. and Feb., and found a 27 percent jump over the year-ago period”, says AEP spokesman Pat Hemlepp. The company serves Rust Belt states hit hard by layoffs, such as Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

USA Today (March 17) reports: In Philadelphia, of 14,000 customers whose service was turned off in early 2008, 30 percent were illegally using electricity late last year", utility PECO says. Source: Mar 17 USA Today.”

Thad Nosar, Senior Continuous Improvement Expert in Revenue Protection at DTE Energy says “Recidivism of theft is 30% +. We turn them off, they turn themselves back on”.

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