The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is stepping up its campaign against electricity pilferage, warning that illegal connections and meter tampering can disrupt power supply and pose safety risks to entire communities.

Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga said the utility is working with law enforcement while investing in smart technologies and infrastructure upgrades to reduce losses linked to illegal connections.

“The battle against illegal connections, against jumpers and tampering is not just Meralco alone, it’s a societal issue,” Zaldarriaga said in a radio interview Tuesday.

He also cited the Department of Energy’s “Brigada Kontra Jumper,” which encourages the public to report suspected illegal connections, jumpers and tampered meters through the eGovPH platform.

Zaldarriaga said illegal connections can overload distribution facilities, potentially causing transformer failures and power interruptions that affect entire communities.

Meralco is also eyeing the gradual rollout of smart meters, which can detect irregular consumption more quickly and make tampering more difficult compared with conventional meters requiring manual reading and physical inspection.

The utility continues to invest in substations and distribution lines to improve the efficiency and reliability of its network.

Zaldarriaga said these modernization efforts, however, remain subject to regulatory approval, with investments needing to be balanced against their impact on consumers.