Electricity Act 1945

Any person who alters the index to any meter or prevents any meter from duly registering the quantity of electricity supplied by the supply authority or by any means causes any meter to register incorrectly or by any means diverts electricity for his own or any other purpose so that the quantity of such electricity will not be registered by the meter shall be guilty of an offence.

Upon the conviction of a person for an offence under subsection (1), the court, in addition to imposing a fine under such subsection, may order that the offender pay to the supply authority affected a further sum as compensation for actual damage suffered in consequence of the wrongful act of the offender and also a still further sum (not exceeding $200) as exemplary damages, and payment of the total amount specified in such order shall be enforceable in the same manner as payment of the fine imposed under subsection (1) is enforceable.

The existence of artificial means for causing any alteration, prevention or diversion or for abstracting, consuming or using electricity mentioned in subsection (1) shall, when the meter lines or works interfered with are under the control or charge or in the care of the consumer, be prima facie evidence that such alteration, prevention, diversion, abstraction or consumption (as the case may be) has been caused or carried out by the consumer in contravention of subsection (1).