I find it quite upsetting that BC Hydro is losing $154 million a year to electricity theft due to marijuana grow operations.
This loss of revenue is reportedly adding five per cent to everyone’s hydro bills: yours, mine and the legitimate businesses operating in our communities.
However, it occurs to me that if the cost of the electricity being stolen each year is $154 million, then the total cost of electricity theft must be even greater when you factor in the cost of tracking down the theft and the thieves and repairing the damage they’ve done along the way.
Every honest, decent citizen, and particularly those making sincere efforts to conserve electricity and be “Power Smart,” should be outraged by electricity theft.
I strongly encourage BC Hydro to take whatever steps needed to stamp out these power thieves and make sure our power is used appropriately and, above all else, paid for.
Yolanda Lora Vilchis, Surrey
