Certified electricians have a warning for Jamaicans: “Your neighbour may be stealing your electricity and fattening your Jamaica Public Service (JPS) bills.”

Christopher Dell, an inspector in Westmoreland, told the Jamaica Observer that people should not overlook the possibility.

“It is very much possible. On a meter socket, you have two potheads: one is for JPS and one is going to your house. Each pothead is coming down with an amount of wires. You would have three wires, two hot wires and the neutral wire. The one that is going to your house, if they go up and put a piece of wire and take power from that one, they will be stealing light from you because that power will be registering through the meter,” Dell explained.

He continued: “If somebody put up a wire on that one, they are stealing light from you, and your light bill will be climbing. It will be going up. So, therefore, if they want to, the two metre sockets that is up there, they determine which one is coming from JPS and that is the one that they would steal from.”

Lenville Pottinger, an electrician in Kingston told the Sunday Observer that he has received many requests from registered and paying JPS customers who have suspected that neighbours have infiltrated their power line. Upon investigation, their suspicions were proven valid.

“I have been requested under those circumstances several times, and I have actually found that neighbours were tapping onto their neighbours’ electricity. I have found it in tenement yards and even in residential areas like Norbrook and Cherry Garden. I have found it on various roads off Maxfield Avenue, Waltham Park Road, etcetera. It is a widespread thing,” he revealed.

Last week, the JPS told the Sunday Observer that electricity theft was extensive and is found across all socio-economic groups and geographical areas.