Energy theft funding cannabis farms and crypto crime, warns Stay Energy Safe

Illegal cannabis farms and crypto-mining operations are fuelling the UK’s £1.5 billion energy theft crisis, according to Crimestoppers’ Stay Energy Safe campaign. 

Energy theft has risen by 75 per cent since 2012, with criminal gangs increasingly bypassing meters and diverting power to fund high-energy setups. Many cannabis farms are hidden in homes, flats and warehouses, using unsafe wiring that risks fires as well as gas leaks.  

Many cannabis farms are hidden in homes, flats and warehouses, using unsafe wiring that risks fires and gas leaks. Cryptomining operations, meanwhile, are consuming enormous amounts of illegally obtained electricity to run rows of computers around the clock. 

In one case, investigators found nearly £250,000 worth of electricity had been stolen to power a £7 million cannabis farm. Police have uncovered secret mining operations in industrial units, nightclubs and warehouses, some disguised as legitimate businesses, wired dangerously to the mains. 

The consequences are far from just financial. Tampered meters and unsafe connections can cause gas leaks, explosions, electrocution and even fatalities. In recent years, people have died from illegally altered electrical systems in homes and businesses. 

Crimestoppers’ Stay Energy Safe service urges gas engineers and the public to look out for tell-ttale signs of tampering and report concerns anonymously. 

Do you know what to look for? Read our guidance on identifying gas theft and meter tampering: https://registeredgasengineer.co.uk/technical/know-the-signs-of-gas-theft-and-meter-tampering/ 

Anyone who suspects energy theft can report it anonymously at stayenergysafe.co.uk/give-info or by calling 0800 023 2777.