In any civil action brought under this section, the utility shall recover from the defendant the greater of actual damages, if any, or $100. Actual damages include the costs incurred on account of the bypassing, tampering or unauthorized reconnection, including but not limited to costs and expenses for investigation, disconnection, reconnection and service calls. The utility may recover punitive damages in addition to actual damages. The court may award reasonable attorney fees and expert witness fees to the prevailing party in an action under this section. [1989 c.670 § 2; 1993 c.217 § 1; 1995 c.618 § 22]