When you hear the word “theft,” you likely picture people in ski masks carrying electronics, jewelry and piles of cash out of a home, but you probably don’t imagine your neighbor tampering with natural gas,  water and electricity meters to steal resources. Utilities around the globe face the adverse impacts of energy and water theft, which results in unsafe conditions, higher rates for customers and lost revenue.

Offenders continue to become more sophisticated, diverting more energy and water than ever and creating public safety concerns by tampering with utility infrastructure. To identify, monitor and manage potential losses, many utilities are turning to Itron Revenue Assurance to address theft.

Itron Revenue Assurance uses more than 100 advanced algorithms based on more than 10 years of field results to facilitate accurate identification and detection. Currently, more than 30 utilities are taking advantage of this solution to monitor more than 35 million meters to detect suspicious usage patterns and ensure safety. Itron Revenue Assurance pinpoints issues immediately and accurately allowing the utility to quickly resolve the instance before it becomes an issue.

Diversion of energy and water is a mounting concern for utilities. Meter tampering leads to financial impacts for utilities and ratepayers, creates potential fire hazards, risks the safety of utility employees and the public, and can compromise the distribution system. Learn how Itron’s industry-leading analytics tools mitigate these concerns here.