Authorities will conduct a ground check for misusing electricity and those found guilty will be sentenced to five to ten years in prison, announced the Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC).

The YESC said some people who have been authorized to use electricity and some people who have not yet received permission to use electricity are making illegal use of electricity in a fraudulent way.

Illegal methods to use electricity are use without permission, direct use of electricity without a meter, misusing a meter to stop functioning, using bypass method to use electricity directly from electric cable, reverse installation of meter input cable and output cable, running a business from general household meters, using more than the allowed load from the small scale industry and industrial businesses, misusing electricity by fixing meters, and repairing the internal part of the meter, announced the YESC.

In addition, the damage was caused by obtaining electricity in industrial zones, where using electricity is prohibited from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm, when the alternate power is off due to insufficient electricity, obtaining electricity by oneself and using it for industrial activities, and obtaining and using electricity at one's own discretion when the alternate power is off due to insufficient electricity, announced the YESC.

It said the misusing electricity are caused low voltage, damages in transformers, electrocution hazards, fire hazards and reduced revenue in the state's electricity sector.

The relevant authorities from the townships will conduct a field investigation of such theft and misusing, and if it is found that there is a violation of any illegal power using method, the power will be cut off to those who conspired with the person who uses the electricity. The compensation will be calculated according to the installed load and will be prosecuted under Sections 52 and 53 of the 2014 Electricity Law, it said.