As part of the “Copped It” campaign, Scottish Power has said it will pay up to £10,000 to members of the public who provide them with information that leads to a conviction of criminals involved in metal theft from its equipment.
Since January 2011, Scottish Power Energy Networks has suffered 1,435 individual attacks on its substations putting more than 140,000 homes at an “increased risk of faults or potential damage”.
More than 11,000 man hours have been spent repairing the damage, while at the beginning of this year, live overhead power cables were cut down with hacksaws by metal thieves.
Frank Mitchell, chief executive of Scottish Power Energy Networks, said: “It is a misconception that stealing metal from a substation or a power line is a victimless crime.
“This year alone we have seen one attempted theft result in a fatality, a whole street in Kilbarchan affected by a power surge causing damage in their homes, and tens of thousands of other homes have experienced interruptions to their power supplies.”
The “Copped It” campaign will appear in print and on the radio from Monday 21 October.