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April 1, 2026

How Your Neighbor's Illegal Power Tap Raises Your Electricity Bill


Have you ever felt that sting in your chest when opening your electricity bill and seeing an astronomical amount, even though you're sure you saved as much as possible? The truth may be more bitter than a meter-reading error: you are paying for energy that other people are stealing.

In the power sector, we call this Non-Technical Losses (PNT), but in everyday language it goes by another name: the well-known "gato" (illegal power tap). And if you think this is only a problem for the distribution company, data from TR Soluções show that the direct impact lands on your wallet.

The Losses Gap: Understanding the System's "Leaking Tank"

To understand why your bill goes up, imagine a truck transporting fuel (Energy) along a highway (the wire):

  • Technical Losses (PT): This is the fuel that naturally evaporates from heat during the trip. It's an unavoidable physical phenomenon.
  • Non-Technical Losses (illegal tap): This is as if someone punctured the truck's tank and stole fuel along the way.

The core problem is that ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) sets a loss limit that the distribution company is allowed to pass on to consumers. When theft exceeds that limit, the distribution company's financial health is affected; up to the regulatory limit, you pay the bill.

PNT figures are always compared to the size of the Low Voltage (BT) market. This is the indicator used by ANEEL because it is precisely at the low-voltage level where theft generally occurs. The figure below shows the evolution of regulatory PNT — that is, the losses passed on through tariffs — and real PNT — that is, the losses that actually occurred — between 2008 and 2024. The figures represent the average across all distribution companies in Brazil.


Figure 1 – Comparative evolution of regulatory and real PNT relative to the BT market

Chart showing the detailed composition of the Distribution System Usage Tariff (TUSD), broken down into Transport, Losses, Charges, and Other.
Source: ANEEL Energy Losses Report.

The Numbers Behind It: The Weight of Theft on Consumers' Wallets

TR Soluções' technical precision makes it possible to pinpoint exactly where the power sector's "leaking tank" is most critical. While the average PNT relative to Low Voltage in Brazil in 2024 is 16.0%, some regions face a much more complex and challenging scenario for distribution companies fighting these losses.

Figure 2 – Comparing Real vs. Regulatory PNT across all distribution companies in 2024

Chart showing the detailed composition of the Distribution System Usage Tariff (TUSD), broken down into Transport, Losses, Charges, and Other.
Source: ANEEL Energy Losses Report.

For the business owner or manager focused on real cost, it's possible to translate this percentage into an actual bill amount. Considering an average consumer with monthly consumption of 250 kWh:

  • Ame (Amazonas): With a regulatory loss index of 58.3%, the PNT-related tariff component reaches BRL 0.1078 per kWh. This means that a consumer in Amazonas who does not steal energy pays BRL 26.96 every month just for someone else's illegal tap — an amount that increases considerably once taxes are applied.
  • Light (Rio de Janeiro): With regulatory PNT of 39.3%, the specific "illegal tap" tariff component is BRL 0.0697 per kWh. By the end of the month, that's BRL 17.43 extra on the bill due to theft.

Figure 3 – The Non-Technical Losses gap: regulatory vs. real – 2024

Chart showing the detailed composition of the Distribution System Usage Tariff (TUSD), broken down into Transport, Losses, Charges, and Other.
Source: ANEEL Energy Losses Report.

The Ripple Effect on Business Owners' Wallets

If you own a small or medium-sized business (SMB), the impact hits your competitiveness directly. Even if you migrate to the Free Energy Market (where you choose who to buy energy from — the TE, or Electricity Tariff), you will still keep paying the TUSD (Distribution System Usage Tariff).

The losses live in the TUSD. In other words: there's no way to fully escape the cost of theft, but there is a way to better manage the rest of the bill. Efficient management is possible through:

  • Regulatory Analysis: Understanding how your local distribution company's rate adjustments are influenced by PNT indices.
  • Migration to the Free Market: By seeking cheaper energy suppliers on the TE side, you gain margin to offset the weight of the losses embedded in the TUSD.
  • Energy Efficiency: Reducing total consumption to shrink the base on which losses are applied.
  • Data Intelligence: Using TR Soluções' projections to anticipate tariff variations that fall outside normal inflationary trends.

Conclusion

Energy theft is a social and security issue, but above all, it is a cost partially passed on to those who pay their bills on time. Understanding that your bill covers the system's "leaking tank" is essential for anyone seeking professional, informed energy management.

TR Soluções turns this regulatory complexity into measurable data. Keep following our content to make the best decisions for your business.