Guyana’s state-owned power utility, Guyana Power and Light (GPL), is facing crippling annual losses exceeding GY$3 billion driven by rampant electricity theft across the country, prompting the company to escalate its anti-theft campaign and formally request law enforcement support to prosecute offenders.
During a press briefing held Monday, GPL’s Divisional Director of Engineering Services Ryan Ross broke down the nature of the company’s total system losses, which currently stand at 24 percent of overall power generation. Of that total share, between 13 and 15 percent stems from commercial losses – a category overwhelmingly made up of unauthorized power diversion and outright theft. Ross outlined the staggering financial scale of these losses, noting that each single percentage point of system loss costs the utility approximately GY$200 million, equivalent to around US$1 million. The remaining 9 percent of total losses, he added, consists of technical losses from inefficiencies in aging transformers and transmission infrastructure, which add another GY$1.8 billion in annual losses for the company.
Over recent weeks, GPL crews have already begun conducting on-the-ground operations to remove illegal hookups and identify electricity thieves in communities across the country. As of yet, however, no individuals have been arrested or formally charged with electricity theft offenses. To address this gap, GPL Executive Kesh Nandlall confirmed that he has submitted a formal request to Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, asking for police assistance to apprehend and prosecute offenders. “We will go out there and prosecute people now,” Nandlall emphasized, signaling a new, harder line against the practice.
Beyond the massive financial hit for the utility, GPL stresses that electricity theft is not just an illegal act but also a critical public safety hazard. Unauthorized connections overload the national power grid, damage key infrastructure, cause widespread unplanned power outages for law-abiding customers, and create severe risks of fatal electrocution and destructive electrical fires for communities.
The utility announced that it will continue its targeted anti-theft operations across all regions of Guyana to curb the practice, protect the integrity of the power network, and ensure consistent, reliable service for paying customers. GPL has also called on the public to assist in the effort, urging anyone who spots an illegal electricity connection to report it via the company’s dedicated tip lines: regular line 226-2600, toll-free line 0475, or WhatsApp at 699-4882.