A 46-year-old woman is facing charges after allegedly tampering with her hydro meter.
Manitoba Hydro contacted the Winnipeg Police Service after attending the woman’s Glenwood area home and discovering that she had forcibly removed and tampered with a load limiter installed on her meter
The load limiter, which restricts the resident’s hydro usage to the operation of a furnace during the winter months, was installed on the woman’s hydro meter on March 12 due to non-payment.
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Two weeks later, the account was paid, and a Manitoba Hydro staff member went to remove the device, only to discover that it had been tampered with, resulting in unbilled electricity use from March 12 to March 30.
The Property Crime Unit took over the investigation, and on April 15, the woman was arrested. She now faces charges of mischief under $5,000 and theft under $5,000 and was released on an appearance notice to appear in court at a later date.
The Winnipeg Police Service reminds Winnipeggers that diverting or bypassing hydro meters to consume electricity without paying for it is illegal. Manitoba Hydro will report any theft incidents, and investigations may result in criminal charges that lead to fines and/or imprisonment.