Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2014 October 24

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October 24

Abstracting electricity in Scotland

If I get caught while I "maliciously or fraudulently abstracts, causes to be wasted or diverted, consumes or uses any electricity" in England and Wales, I'll be charged with abstracting electricity, and the same name is applied to the charge for electricity theft in NI and the ROI. But what about in Scotland? We ought at least to say "Comparable actions in Scotland will result in a charge of X", even if it be something as generic as "theft". A Google search for <"abstracting electricity" scotland> found immediately-post-enactment references to the Electric Lighting Act 1882, a discussion of the ability of wet Scottish soils to abstract electricity, and a story of Scotland Yard arresting an Englishman for abstracting electricity. Nyttend (talk) 21:21, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

According to the UKRPA (no article!) website here, in Scotland one can be prosecuted for electricity theft ("supplies of electricity stolen illegally and damage to electrical plant") under Chapter 27, Schedule 4 of the Utilities Act 2000. One can also be prosecuted under Schedule 2B of the Gas Act 1986 for stealing gas (but not electricity). Tevildo (talk) 23:42, 24 October 2014 (UTC)