The use of artificial intelligence and big data analytics enabled the EPE to analyze consumption patterns, facilitating the identification of suspicious users predominantly in medium- and high-income sectors, rather than vulnerable populations covered by social tariffs. Regular operations focused on residential, commercial, and industrial users, with notable cases including a tire manufacturing company in Serodino with unregistered consumption valued at 133 million pesos and an illegal connection at a store in Zavalla worth around 4 million pesos. Over 81,900 inspections conducted from January to September 2025 resulted in nearly 20,000 irregular connections and a recovery of 12.9 million kWh, with recoveries increasing by 381% compared to 2022–2024 levels.
The program incorporates citizen participation through anonymous reporting channels and deploys digital control dashboards to monitor each irregularity. Detected offenders face monetary sanctions and criminal charges filed with the Ministry of Public Prosecution. According to provincial authorities, the recovered funds have mobilized infrastructure projects exceeding 104 billion pesos. The enhancement of monitoring technologies combined with increased inspection coverage signals a sustained government commitment to curbing energy losses and strengthening Santa Fe’s electrical system reliability.
This proactive regulatory approach ensures more equitable resource distribution, reduces theft-related operational risks, and supports the expansion of a modernized energy grid for a vast Argentine population.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
