Yes, it is a serious criminal offense classified as pilferage of electricity or theft of electricity. It is punishable under Republic Act No. 7832 (Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994) in relation to the relevant provisions of the Revised Penal Code on theft (Articles 308–310). The offense is commonly committed through “jumpering” (bypassing the meter with a wire), tampering, illegal connections, or using devices that prevent accurate metering.
The law treats electricity as personal property capable of appropriation. Therefore, any act that diverts or consumes electricity without it passing through the meter constitutes theft.
Legal Framework
Primary Law: Republic Act No. 7832 (enacted December 8, 1994)
Related Law: Revised Penal Code (Act No. 3815), particularly Articles 308 (Theft), 309 (Penalties), and 310 (Qualified Theft)
Implementing Rules: Philippine Distribution Code, ERC Rules on Illegal Use of Electricity, and distribution utilities’ Terms and Conditions of Service (e.g., Meralco, VECO, Davao Light, etc.)
RA 7832 remains the controlling special law on electricity pilferage and has not been repealed or substantially amended as of 2025.
Prohibited Acts Under RA 7832 (Section 2)
Any person is prohibited from:
- Tapping, making, or causing to be made any unauthorized connection with overhead lines, service drops, or other electric service wires.
- Tampering, installing jumpers, or using any device or method that interferes with the proper registration or metering of electric consumption.
- Knowingly using, consuming, or benefiting from electricity obtained through any of the above illegal acts.
- Damaging, destroying, or removing electric meters, seals, or other apparatus of electric utilities.
- Stealing or pilfering electric wires, cables, or transmission line materials.
“Jumpering” falls squarely under nos. 1 and 2 and is the most common method detected in residential and small commercial cases.
Prima Facie Evidence of Illegal Use (RA 7832, Section 3)
The presence of any of the following circumstances constitutes prima facie evidence of illegal use of electricity by the person in possession, control, or custody of the premises (i.e., the registered consumer):
- Bored hole on the glass cover, back, or any part of the electric meter
- Tampered, broken, or fake electric meter seals
- Reversed, tilted, or inverted electric meter
- Destroyed or removed meter seals or lead wires
- Unauthorized jumper wires or devices that interfere with accurate metering
- Presence of devices that slow down, stop, or bypass the meter (magnets, remote controls, shunts, etc.)
- Abnormal or unexplained decrease in electric consumption compared to previous billing periods
- Direct line from the electric pole/service drop bypassing the meter (“talon” or “hakot”)
Once any of these is found during a legitimate inspection, the burden of proof shifts to the consumer to prove that the tampering was done without his/her knowledge, consent, or benefit. This is extremely difficult to overcome in practice.
Criminal Liability and Penalties
The offense is prosecuted as qualified theft (because the meter is entrusted to the consumer, constituting grave abuse of confidence under Article 310, RPC).
Penalties are based on the monetary value of the pilfered electricity (computed via differential billing or load survey):
| Value of Pilfered Electricity | Base Penalty for Simple Theft (Art. 309, RPC) | Qualified Theft Penalty (Art. 310 – two degrees higher) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ P5.00 | Arresto menor | Prision correccional minimum |
| P5.01 – P22,000 | Prision correccional medium to prision mayor minimum | Reclusion temporal minimum to medium |
| P22,001 – P102,000 | Prision mayor maximum to reclusion temporal minimum | Reclusion perpetua |
| Over P102,000 | Reclusion temporal medium + 1 year per additional P10,000 (max 20 years) | Reclusion perpetua |
In practice, most detected jumpering cases involve estimated pilferage of P100,000 to several million pesos (back-billed over 1–5 years), resulting in penalties of 8 to 20 years imprisonment or reclusion perpetua.
If committed by a syndicate (3 or more persons) or by an employee/official of the electric utility, the penalty is imposed in its maximum period and may include perpetual disqualification from public office or employment in any electric utility.
Death caused by illegal connection (electrocution or fire) elevates the penalty to reclusion perpetua to death (though the death penalty is currently abolished).
Civil and Administrative Consequences
Differential Billing
The utility computes the unregistered consumption (usually based on connected load × hours of use × estimated period of pilferage). The period can go back several years if evidence shows long-standing tampering. The consumer is billed for the estimated amount + 100% surcharge in many cases.Immediate Disconnection
Service is disconnected upon discovery and will not be reconnected until full payment of differential billing, removal of illegal devices, and payment of reconnection fees/deposits.Refusal of Future Service
Utilities may refuse new applications from persons previously convicted or with unsettled pilferage cases.Civil Damages
The utility may file a separate civil case for actual damages, exemplary damages, and attorney’s fees.
Who Is Liable?
- The registered consumer on record with the utility is criminally liable, even if the actual tampering was done by a boarder, tenant, employee, or third party.
- Landlords with master meters are liable for sub-metered tenants who jumper.
- Tenants with individual meters are directly liable.
- Corporate officers may be held personally liable if the corporation committed the offense.
Supreme Court rulings (e.g., Meralco v. People, G.R. No. 196117, 2014; People v. Dela Cruz, G.R. No. 224971, 2018) consistently uphold convictions when the accused fails to rebut the prima facie evidence.
Common Defenses and Their Success Rate
| Defense | Likelihood of Success |
|---|---|
| “I didn’t know about the jumper” | Very low |
| “The boarder/tenant did it” | Low (still liable if you benefited) |
| “The inspection was illegal” | Moderate (if no valid inspection order or no witnesses) |
| “The differential billing is excessive” | Moderate (court may reduce if manifestly unconscionable) |
| Payment of differential billing before filing | May lead to desistance in complaint, but does not extinguish criminal liability once case is filed |
Reporting and Inspection Procedure
Electric utilities conduct inspections with at least one barangay official or law enforcement officer as witness. Photographs, inventory of illegal devices, and sealing of evidence are standard. Refusal to allow inspection is itself punishable and constitutes additional evidence of guilt.
Conclusion
Unauthorized use or jumpering of an electric meter is a heavily penalized felony in the Philippines. The combination of prima facie evidence under RA 7832 and the qualification as theft with grave abuse of confidence makes conviction highly likely once tampering is discovered. Penalties routinely reach 10–20 years imprisonment for ordinary household cases, in addition to crushing civil bills that often exceed a million pesos.
The law is deliberately strict to protect electric utilities and lawful consumers from the massive system losses caused by pilferage (estimated at billions of pesos annually). There is virtually no leniency for “small” or “personal use” cases.
In short: Yes, it is a crime — a very serious one — and the State, the courts, and the electric utilities treat it as such.