Lights out for hundreds of accused electricity thieves
Mérida, Yucatán — The Federal Electricity Commission, known as the CFE, has suspended service to hundreds of businesses and private homes in recent weeks for alleged energy theft.
Fines have been imposed ranging from 150,000 to 1 million pesos, according to Diario de Yucatán.
The move has triggered a wave of complaints, especially among business owners.
CFE has been on a campaign to reduce electricity theft in the Peninsula, which adds up to an estimated 1.2 billion pesos annually.
The agency hired a private company in Mexico City, which sent a crew of 40 people to Mérida to detect users who use “little devils” or altered meters, according to Diario.
The cuts, which began a few days ago, uncovered sinister and talented energy thieves, said Miguel Novelo Velázquezk, president of the College of Mechanical Engineers and Electricians of Yucatán.
Yucatán Magazine has the inside scoop on living here. Sign up to get our top headlines delivered to your inbox every week.