Tampered smart meters: 60% belonged to businesses

Some 60% of the smart meters tampered by Enemalta installers to give misleading energy readings, belonged to businesses, the corporation’s CEO said this morning on PBS’s TVAM.

Speaking on the breakfast TV show, Frederick Azzopardi said that at least two-thirds of the meters estimated to have been hacked belonged to businesses.

It was estimated that some 1,000 meters could have been tampered, although the scale of hacked smart meters was never fully confirmed.

Government opted to forgo any criminal steps against Enemalta clients who bribed Enemalta installers, if they offer up information leading to charges against the bribed employees.

At the time of the close of the six-week period give for this amnesty, some 430 applicants had offered to pay all outstanding dues, inclusive of interest and penalty.

Azzopardi said the number could rise slightly because enquiries continued to be made up to the end.

Azzopardi said investigations were continuing. Enemalta is expected to recover over €10m in lost revenue.