Electricity consumption is increasing with the advent of the summer season, which begins on December 21, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (INMEET). During this period, there was also a significant increase in the number of “light cats” in Rio. According to Light, the distributor responsible for 31 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro, these thefts represent 40% of the supplied energy, and are among the main causes of systems failure, because they lead to overloading the equipment. To try to limit the problem and avoid supply disruptions, the company launched the “Summer Plan.”
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The strategy combines preventive and emergency measures, as well as enhanced response to incidents not only related to energy theft, but also impacts caused by wind and storms, which tend to be frequent at this time of year. The reinforcement will include teams of up to four times the number of professionals mobilized throughout the day.
The company also reported that it increased preventive maintenance by 46% compared to 2024 and invested more than R$462.5 million to improve the distribution network.
– We know that summer is a period of high energy consumption and climate challenges. Therefore, we have strengthened our teams and expanded our response capacity so that residents can have peace of mind and security. We have been working throughout this year to improve our services, hiring new teams and qualified workers and investing in cutting-edge technology – explains João Paulo Parreira, Integrated Operations Supervisor at Light.
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According to Light, the areas with the largest number of “light cats” are Baixada Fluminense and the western region of Rio. From January to date, the distributor has already settled 2,400 illegal connections and settled 118,000 illegal installations in homes and businesses. The amount of energy recovered is 132 gigawatts per hour, enough to supply 54,000 homes for an entire year.
Between December 2024 and April 2025, more than 1,300 transformers, as many as “cats,” overheated and burned out. The overload, in addition to affecting 400,000 customers, also increases the risk of accidents, such as explosions and fires on the columns.
Losses amount to R$1.3 billion, not including repairs to equipment damaged by theft.
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