According to the National Meteorological Institute (IMMET), electricity consumption will increase with the arrival of summer, which starts on December 21st. During this period, the number of “light cats” also increased significantly in the city of Rio. According to Rio de Janeiro’s electricity distribution company Lite, which covers 31 municipalities, these thefts account for 40% of the energy supplied and are one of the main causes of system failures, as they overload equipment. To alleviate this problem and avoid supply disruptions, the company has launched a ‘summer plan’.
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This strategy combines preventive and emergency measures, in addition to strengthening the response to incidents related to energy theft as well as the effects of wind and storms, which tend to be more common during this time of year. Reinforcement requires up to four times the number of experts mobilized throughout the day.
The company also reported increasing preventive maintenance by 46% compared to 2024 and investing more than R$462.5 million in improving its distribution network.
— We know that summer is a time of high energy consumption and climate change issues. That’s why we strengthened our teams and expanded our response capabilities to ensure greater safety and security for our people. Throughout this year, we have worked hard to improve our services, hiring new teams, hiring qualified workers, and investing in cutting-edge technology. explains João Paulo Parreira, Head of Integrated Operations at Light.
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According to Wright, the areas with the highest numbers of “light cats” are Baixada Fluminense and Rio’s West Zone. Since January, the distributor has already established 2,400 illegal connections and 118,000 irregular installations in homes and businesses. The amount of energy recovered is 132 GWh, enough to power 54,000 homes for one year.
Between December 2024 and April 2025, more than 1,300 transformers overheated and burned out, along with a number of “cats.” Overloading not only affects 400,000 customers, but also increases the risk of accidents such as pole explosions and fires.
Losses due to theft, excluding the cost of repairing equipment, amounted to R$1.3 billion.
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