Will stealing electricity constitute a crime?

Stealing electricity constitutes theft and can be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of up to three years. If the circumstances involved are minor, the perpetrator shall be ordered to stop the illegal act, recover the electricity fee, and be fined not more than five times the electricity fee. If the circumstances are serious, he may be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years 10 years and fined.

Suspected theft can be punished with imprisonment of not more than three years. Whoever steals electricity shall be ordered by the administrative department of electric power to stop the illegal act, recover the electricity fee and impose a fine of less than five times the electricity fee payable. If the case constitutes a crime, criminal responsibility shall be investigated for theft.

Stealing public or private property, including electricity, gas and natural gas. It can be seen that stealing electricity is also theft. Whoever steals public or private property in a relatively large amount or repeatedly shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention or public surveillance, and shall also, or shall only, be fined. If the amount is huge or there are other serious circumstances, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years and shall also be fined. If the amount is especially huge or there are other especially serious circumstances, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or confiscated.

"Stealing electricity" is a very bad behavior, and the records of electric meters are avoided by means of external lines and other security risks. First of all, such behavior has great security risks, which may pose a threat to the safety of other citizens, and secondly, it violates civic morality.