Is it permissible to avoid paying electricity bills because the state is charging them too much?

Firstly: 

Governments and officials should be kind towards their
citizens and not impose unbearable burdens on them. It is not permissible
for the state to monopolize basic essential goods and services which people
cannot do without, then sell them to them for inflated prices. 

Governments should realize that they are not investment
companies, whose main concern is making a profit from their citizens. Rather
their main role is to serve their citizens, make things easier for them, and
be kind towards them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) prayed: “O Allaah, whoever is put in charge of any of the affairs
of my ummah and treats them harshly, treat him harshly, and whoever is put
in charge of any of the affairs of my ummah and treats them kindly, treat
him kindly.” Narrated by Muslim, 1828. 

These officials should realize that tomorrow they will be
standing before Allaah and accounting for their deeds, being rewarded or
punished for them. Each ruler, official and minister will be asked about all
of those who were under their authority: “Each of you is a shepherd and each
of you is responsible for his flock…” 

May Allaah be pleased with ‘Umar, for he used to say: “If a
mule stumbles in Iraq (which was on the edge of the Islamic state at that
time), Allaah will ask me on the Day of Resurrection, ‘Why did you not
maintain the road for it, O ‘Umar?’” 

The questioning on the Day of Resurrection will be to such an
extent, even about animals – so how about the thousands and millions of
people who are subjected to oppression and wrongful treatment? 

Nations become strong when justice prevails, and nations
decline because of injustice. 

Hence it was said that Allaah supports just nations even if
they are kaafirs, and He does not support unjust nations even if they are
Muslims. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“No sin brings a swifter punishment than injustice and severing the ties of
kinship.” The unjust person will be punished in this world even if he is
forgiven and granted mercy in the Hereafter. That is because justice is the
foundation of all things. If a thing is based on justice it will endure,
even if its founder has no share in the Hereafter. If it is not based on
justice then it will not endure, even if its founder has faith for which he
will be rewarded in the Hereafter. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa by Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 28/146 

Secondly: 

The Muslim has to be
patient and seek reward with Allaah, and not respond to cheating and
injustice in kind. 

It is not permissible to tinker with the electricity meter,
or to use tricks to avoid paying the bills, because that is cheating,
deceiving and consuming people’s wealth unlawfully. 

The Standing Committee was asked: Is it permissible to stop
electricity or water meters in a kaafir state so as to weaken that state?
Please note that the state takes unjust taxes from me which I pay
unwillingly. 

They replied: 

That is not permissible, because it is consuming people’s
wealth unlawfully. End quote. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
23/441 

The Standing Committee
was also asked: is it permissible to use tricks to avoid paying bills for
electricity, water, television, gas and so on? Please note that most of
these things are provided by publicly owned companies. 

They replied: 

That is not permissible, because it is consuming people’s
wealth unlawfully and is a failure to fulfil trusts. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah commands that you should render back the
trusts to those, to whom they are due”

[al-Nisa’ 4:29] 

“O you who believe! Eat not up your property among
yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual consent. And
do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allaah is Most
Merciful to you”

[al-Nisa’ 4:58] 

end quote. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
23/441 

Thirdly: 

You quote as evidence the hadeeth, “Three things cannot be
denied anyone: water, pasture and fire” (narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2473) – and
according to another report: “The Muslims are partners in three things:
water, pasture and fire, and their price is haraam” (narrated by Ibn Maajah,
2472 – both hadeeths were classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn
Maajah). But quoting these reports as evidence is not correct. If these
things are collected and taken possession of, then it is permissible to sell
them, as water may be sold in bottles, for example. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: He said that it is not permissible to
sell spring water, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “The Muslims are partners in three things: water, pasture
and fire,” and because this water was not extracted by any human effort,
rather it came out by the power of Allaah. A man may dig a deep well and
find that no water comes out, so this water is not the result of his efforts
or actions, rather he is only a cause. So he cannot take possession of it,
and if he cannot take possession of it then he cannot sell it. But if he
took possession of it, took the water away and put it in a tank, then it is
permissible for him to sell it, because it became his property by means of
removing it and putting it in his tank. End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti’,
8/154 

The same applies to using the command to extinguish lamps as
evidence. The apparent meaning is to limit the use of lamps that could be a
cause of the house burning down. The hadeeth referred to was narrated by Abu
Dawood (5247) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: A
mouse came and started dragging the wick, which it brought and dropped in
front of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), on the mat on which he was sitting, and a spot the size of a dirham
was burned. He said: “When you go to sleep, extinguish your lamps, for the
Shaytaan shows this (the wick) to this one (the mouse) and it will burn
you.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

Muslim (2012) narrated from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Extinguish lamps… for the
evil one (the mouse) will burn people’s houses around them.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
ordered that lamps be extinguished before sleeping if there is the fear that
leaving them may be the cause of a fire in the house. Hence the scholars
such as Ibn Daqeeq al-‘Eid, al-Nawawi and al-Haafiz ibn Hajar stated that if
a person makes sure, before going to sleep, that the lamp will not fall,
there is nothing wrong in that case with going to sleep and leaving the
lamps lit. 

See Fath al-Baari, 11/89 

It may be said that
lighting the streets at night is a means of reducing crimes and evil; this
is something that is well known. 

Fourthly: 

Everyone should be economical in using electricity and water,
and to be content with just what he needs, without being extravagant,
because of the general meaning of the evidence that forbids extravagance and
waste, without paying any attention to what relatives and neighbours say. It
may be noted that many people keep the lights on in all the rooms of the
house when there is no need for that, or they use air-conditioners and
heaters in an extravagant manner. 

We ask Allaah to help and guide us and you. 

And Allaah knows best.