Interventions by the Ministry of Environment and Energy to address power theft

According to data from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO), electricity theft places an annual burden on compliant consumers—who effectively cover the cost of stolen energy—exceeding €450 million, or approximately €60 per household per year on average.

The measures under consideration include:

• Intensification of inspections.
• Shortening of the deadlines currently provided for objections, re-inspections, and related procedures.
• Limiting the number of instalments allowed for the repayment of the value of stolen electricity.

According to data published by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the share of electricity theft in total consumption increased from 1.1% in 2012–2013 to 4–4.5% in 2017–2019, rose further to 4.5–5% during the COVID-19 period—when inspections were more difficult—and reached 5.6% during the energy crisis, when electricity prices surged.

In 2024, electricity theft declined to 5.1%, while for 2025 a further reduction is estimated, as HEDNO carried out nearly 50% more inspections compared with 2024. The available 2025 data refer to total network losses, which, in addition to electricity theft, also include technical losses related to the operation and characteristics of the grid. Based on these figures, total losses stood at 10.8% in 2024 and 10.4% in 2025, with a target of reducing them to 10% by 2026. Regarding discrepancies identified in previous HEDNO inspections, these are estimated to account for 1.5% of case files.

A key tool for reducing electricity theft is the installation of smart meters across the network. The rollout programme has been delayed due to objections filed during the tender process, which was ultimately awarded in May 2025. Out of 7.7 million consumers nationwide, only 85,000 had smart meters in 2018 (1.1%), whereas today the number has reached 1.4 million. These now account for 66% of electricity consumption, as installations are prioritised for high-consumption connections. The target is for 100% smart meter coverage by 2030.

Regarding HEDNO, it is further noted that:

• Investments in grid modernisation and expansion, which amounted to €500 million annually before the crisis, were significantly reduced during 2014–2019, reaching a cumulative €800 million, before being restored to €2.8 billion cumulatively during the 2020–2025 period.
• Over 100,000 renewable energy producers are connected to the distribution network, mainly photovoltaic systems, the vast majority of which are small-scale producers (90,000 with capacity below 1 MW). Installed RES capacity on the distribution network stood at 4 GW in 2019 and now exceeds 9 GW, representing around 50% of total RES capacity (larger units are connected to the IPTO transmission system).
• The underground network increased from 25,000 km in 2014 and 26,000 km in 2019 to 32,300 km in 2025.