Big-time electricity thieves

Electricity theft is on the rise in hotels, restaurants and cafes in Greece, according to network operator DEDDIE.

In the approximately 700 or more inspections carried out by DEDDIE in the food service and hospitality sector across the country from November 2024 to February 2025, 131 cases of electricity theft were identified in which the energy consumed without being recorded and paid for exceeds 4.8 gigawatt-hours and the dues exceed 1.2 million euros.

In addition, according to the DEDDIE data announced on Monday, another 153 cases are in the process of being certified as electricity theft through laboratory tests, with the final number of identified electricity thefts expected to increase significantly.

In some well-known chains, the percentage of detected power theft exceeded 50% of the number of supplies checked, which according to DEDDIE demonstrates the potentially systematic nature of the phenomenon in such cases. Athens, Thessaloniki and Patra, Kathimerini understands, are the areas with the highest rate of power theft in these sectors, reaching 50% and even exceeding 50% in a well-known coffee chain.

The data are impressive for the extent of the phenomenon, which of course is not limited to the specific category of businesses and indicative of the effectiveness of the controls to limit it.

Under the pressure exerted recently by the leadership of the Energy Ministry through a framework of actions and the threatened increased fines from watchdog RAAEY, DEDDIE proceeded to intensify controls. The market regulator, according to information, has informally notified the grid operator that it will increase the annual fine for failure to achieve the target of reducing losses (technical and power theft) from €6 million to €20-30 million.

The fine is part of an incentive by the operator to reduce power theft, which, according to the Energy Ministry’s estimates, burdens consistent consumers with around €400 million on an annual basis.