OTOH if they haven't been sentenced yet and the electricity company knows of it, I think they are walking on thin ice if they don't report it.

In what country is "no electricity" (part of) the sentence for murderers? And even in a country where "no electricity" is (part of) the sentence for murder, shouldn't the electric company only impose it in response to a court order?

More to the point, if they haven't been sentenced, why is the electric company imposing a sentence?

Along the same lines, if they haven't been convinced, why is the electric company treating them differently?