Discuss Rick Barnett's answer to: Electric companies that turn on power with a switch hold on a account

Don't hold me too closely on this one because I only work with power generation, not utility company billing.

Power meters have an "auto-report" function that tells the individual utilities how much power you used and when you used it.  If they want to, they can trace your movements around the apartment.

Auto-report meters have a disconnect function.  If you fail to pay your bill, they can shut off your power from 200 miles away and never send out a technician.  There is no way you can turn it back on, either, as the power pig on the pole is where they turn it on or off.

Mess with that system and they will know about it the instant you break their seal.  They can shut you off permanently if they want to.  There is no way you will get power back if you fail to pay your bill on time.