Fonte: ANEEL The damage with non-technical losses (irregular consumption) of electricity reached the level of BRL 8.1 billion per year, considering 61 of the 63 distributors that have passed the 2nd round of rate reviews in the period from 2007 to 2010. The amount includes the cost of energy and taxes which are no longer collected by the government.

In energy, the value corresponds to more than 27,000 gigawatt-hours (GW-h), approximately 8% of consumption of the Brazilian energy captive market*. That amount would be enough, for example, to supply, annually, the 774 municipalities served by CEMIG Distribuição and supply the 217 cities with provision by Companhia Energetica do Maranhão (CEMAR).

Measurement errors are not had as non-technical losses, deficiencies in the billing process, the lack of meter in consumer units, frauds and thefts of power among other factors. Fraud is an act committed by consumers who violate the measuring system to obtain a record of consumption which is less than its real spending, whereas theft is committed by those who are not consumers and connects to the network to illegally consume energy.

The region with the highest rate of irregular consumption is the North, with 20% of distributed energy, followed by the Southeast, with 10%, and the Northeast, with 9%. In the Midwest, the percentage is 5%, and in the South, it is 3%.

Centrais Elétricas do Pará (CELPA) topped the list of non-technical losses, with 24.4% of distributed energy. Second comes Light, in Rio de Janeiro, where this kind of loss reaches 24.2% of distributed energy. The third position is occupied by CERON (RO), with 22%. Check out the list with 15 major record distributors with non-technical losses. The figures below assume the percentage allowed by the regulatory agency for rating purposes.

Small distributors record the lowest rate of irregular consumption. In some, such as Força e Luz Coronel Vivida Ltda (Forcel), in Paraná, Empresa Força e Luz de Urussanga Ltda, in Santa Catarina, and Hidrelétrica Panambi S/A (Hidropan), in Rio Grande do Sul, there is no considerable non-technical loss of energy. 

The non-technical losses impact the rate, because part of this injury turns out to be apportioned among consumers legally registered in the distributor, when calculating rates. In a concession area such as that of Light Serviços de Eletricidade S/A, for example, the rate reduction would be 18% if there was irregular consumption.

In addition to financial losses, theft of energy has risks and harms to society. Illegal connections tend to overload the transformers that are sized to support a given load. Overloading can cause accidents in the electrical network, such as explosions and fires that, in addition to physical risks to the population, cause interruptions in the supply of various consumer units and thus a negative impact on power quality. 

Resolution No.414/2010 , with the rights and duties of consumers of electric power, disciplines procedures to be adopted by the distributor for the characterization of irregular consumption of energy and recovery of revenue.

The theft of electric power is classified as a crime. The responsible is subject to penalties ranging from paying fines to detention for up to four years. (PG/FA/GL)
 
* The captive market is formed by consumers who can only buy energy from distribution utilities that operate the network they are connected to.