Energy Theft Detection and Real-Time Monitoring in a Smart Prepaid Metering System

Electricity theft represents a significant financial loss for distribution companies, primarily caused by consumer activities such as energy meter bypassing and tampering. This research presents a study approach to an intelligent prepaid energy metering system designed to detect and address these issues while offering real-time monitoring capabilities. The system is built around a microcontroller which monitors readings from two current sensors, one tracking the user's load consumption and being placed before the meter to measure the total current drawn by all the loads. Any changes between these readings indicate theft, prompting immediate action. A momentary switch is installed to detect tampering attempts and automatically trigger alerts once the meter is tampered with. Also, the system enables users to recharge energy units remotely and monitor their consumption through a user-friendly interface. The inclusion of GSM technology ensures that all unauthorized activities are reported to the relevant authorities. Experimental results demonstrate that the system measures load consumption and detects attempts to bypass the meter, reducing utility companies' revenue losses.