Liverpool reports second-highest confirmed energy thefts in the UK
Major campaign warns of life-threatening consequences
Liverpool has been identified as one of the UK's top hotspots for energy theft, recording the second-highest number of confirmed cases in the country, according to recent figures.
Data from gas and electricity suppliers shows that Liverpool experienced 975 confirmed instances of energy theft, closely following Birmingham, which had 1,008 cases.
In response to the significant rise in energy theft, which includes illicit tampering with gas and electricity supplies, Stay Energy Safe, run by the charity Crimestoppers, has launched a nationwide campaign titled ‘Unknown Danger.’
The campaign aims to challenge the perception that energy theft is a victimless crime and highlights the potential dangers such as fires, gas leaks, and electrocution, which put lives at risk.
Energy theft can involve bypassing meters, tampering with equipment, or direct illegal connections to power supplies, and is often linked to serious criminal activities such as cannabis cultivation and the exploitation of vulnerable people.
Along with rising thefts, public reporting has increased; there were 13,779 reports of suspected energy theft in 2025/26, a rise of 79% over the past five years.
People in Liverpool are being encouraged to anonymously report any suspicions of energy theft through Stay Energy Safe’s confidential channels.
Annette Booysen from the charity tells us how we can tell if our energy is being stolen: "People can check meters, people often hear conversations, so they may hear someone saying, 'I haven't paid for my energy bills in years or weeks or months', and that automatically should be an alarm bell.
"But if they see a meter with unusual wiring or piping, if they see sparks or melted plastic or damage to the meter, then these can all be signs that energy theft has taken place, and of course, if they smell gas around the meter, that's also a big sign."