The Department of Energy (DOE) has estimated that at least ₱7.5 billion in investments will be required to fully eliminate non-technical systems loss across the country’s power network, even as it launched the Brigada Kontra Jumper program on Monday to curb electricity theft and related abuses through the eGovPH digital platform. Systems loss refers to the gap between energy produced and energy delivered, split into technical losses—an unavoidable physical effect of power transmission—and non-technical losses, driven primarily by illegal connections, meter tampering, and power pilferage. These losses are currently passed on to all consumers as a uniform charge collected by distributors and electric cooperatives, making the issue a direct financial concern for every household and business.
The DOE outlined a four-phase roadmap to eliminate non-technical losses entirely within roughly one year. The first phase, requiring ₱4 billion, will cut such losses by 25 percent; the second phase at ₱1 billion will bring the reduction to 50 percent; a further ₱1 billion in the third phase will raise it to 75 percent; and the final ₱1.5 billion tranche will remove remaining losses. Energy Undersecretary Rowena Guevara emphasized that the program goes beyond enforcement, covering consumer education on the dangers of tampered meters and unauthorized wiring, improved billing and collection efficiency, stricter meter management and auditing, database cleanup for electric cooperatives, and broader policy and regulatory reform to strengthen oversight. “If you allow jumpers or illegal connections, it is not just your own loss—it is theft from every consumer connected to the system,” Guevara said.
To strengthen enforcement, the DOE is pushing to raise penalties for power pilferage from the current ₱5,000 to as high as ₱50,000, and is coordinating closely with the Philippine National Police, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and local government units for on-the-ground implementation. The new Brigada Kontra Jumper initiative invites the public to report suspected illegal connections, jumpers, tampered meters, and electrical safety hazards through the eGovPH mobile app, with options for anonymous reporting. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin stressed that electricity theft is no victimless crime, with legitimate consumers ultimately covering a large share of the costs. “This program brings government, utilities, and communities together to address losses that affect every household and business,” Garin said, while reminding the public not to intervene directly in suspected cases and to leave corrective action to authorized personnel.
