Article 21 of the Saudi Electricity Law

المادة 21 من نظام الكهرباء · الفصل الثامن: المخالفات والعقوبات

The article makes anyone who tampers with an electricity meter or its accessories liable for all damage to the licensee's facility or third parties, including repair costs and compensation for lost benefit.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

1- يكون مرتكب مخالفة العبث في عداد قياس الخدمة الكهربائية أو أي من ملحقاته؛ مسؤولاً عن جميع الأضرار التي لحقت بمرفق المرخص له، أو الغير، بما في ذلك تكاليف إصلاح التلف الذي تسبب في حدوثه والتعويض عن المنفعة التي فقدها المرفق أو الغير بسبب المخالفة.

2- يصدر المجلس الضوابط الخاصة بتحديد تكاليف الإصلاح وتقدير التعويضات عن المنفعة التي فقدها المرفق أو الغير بسبب المخالفة المذكورة في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 21 explained in plain English

In addition to the penalty, this article adds civil liability on anyone who tampers with an electricity meter.

First: scope of liability. A person who commits the violation of tampering with the meter that measures the electricity service, or any of its accessories, is liable for all damage suffered by:

the licensee's facility, or
third parties.

Under the text of the article, this damage includes:

The costs of repairing the damage he caused.
Compensation for the benefit that the facility or third parties lost because of the violation.

Liability is therefore not limited to repairing the meter, but covers the benefit the facility or third parties lost because of the tampering. The phrase "including" means the items listed are examples within all damage.

Second: how it is assessed. The Council issues the controls for determining repair costs and assessing compensation for lost benefit. The law does not state amounts or a method of calculation, and the Council's controls should be consulted.

This liability differs from the penalties. It is an obligation to make good the damage, and the article does not say that it replaces the penalty.

Article 20 comes before it and allows the Authority in urgent cases to require the violator to stop the violation and remedy the situation at his own expense if he is slow. A person who is claimed against for compensation over meter tampering that he denies may consult a lawyer who specializes in civil cases and compensation.

Practical example

A tenant of an apartment in Makkah tampered with the electricity meter, which damaged the meter and affected neighboring connections. He is liable for the cost of repairing what he damaged and for compensation for the benefit lost by the facility or neighbors because of the violation, under the controls issued by the Council.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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