IOT Based Power Theft Detection For Transmission Lines*

India, with its estimated population of 1.04 billion, is the world’s largest democracy and is expected to experience increased economic growth. Electricity is a crucial source of energy for this growth, but electricity theft costs power companies billions of rupees each year and is considered a serious crime. To address this issue, a system to effectively reduce electricity theft needs to be developed. Bypassing and hooking are the two most common methods of stealing electricity from electrical wires. To detect these methods, a current measuring and comparing system is proposed. In this system, household current distribution is routed indirectly from the electric pole to an intermediary distributor box and then to individual residences. Each consumer distribution point is equipped with the ability to monitor and compare the current value with that of the distribution unit. Current measurements are taken frequently at the distributor box. The ThingSpeak server is then updated with the sector’s information. A current sensor measures the difference in current between the distribution unit and the consumer unit. This system, which has been further developed, is installed on electric poles throughout the city to monitor normal power usage and identify abnormal usage. It updates the server accordingly to help detect and address electricity theft.