Energy Bills Spike 20–40 Times as Miners Tap Shared Meters

Some residents in the Irkutsk region have seen their utility bills soar 20–40 times due to “gray” miners connecting rigs to communal meters, Bratsk TV reports. Such cases have been recorded in multiple apartment complexes, where anomalies surfaced only after homeowners received electricity statements with shockingly large totals. Buildings lacking separate lines for each unit appear especially vulnerable.

Housing co-ops and HOAs often investigate internally to identify the violator, since the skyrocketing costs are divided among all residents. In some instances, individual overpayment per owner reached 2–3k rubles per month. Once a mining farm is exposed, legal proceedings may follow, and local law enforcement could step in to assess damages.

Property management firms encourage tenants to stay alert for disproportionate cost hikes and listen for the distinct noise from 24/7 mining rigs. Experts advise checking technical areas, attics and basements promptly, since these locations are the most common hideouts for illegal mining equipment.