2015 Second International Conference on Advances in Computing and Communication Engineering

Non-Technical Losses in Power System and

Monitoring of Electricity Theft Over
Low-Tension Poles
A. Abhishek Chauhan

Losses in power system are classified as technical losses and

NTLs. Fig. 1 showcases the hierarchy of losses in power
system where it is pragmatic that efficiency and consistency of
a power system has been reviewed on the basis of proper
estimation of losses.

Abstract-- This paper confers a comprehensive framework

along with a hardware approach for the detection of theft of
electricity (TOE). Moreover, causes of Non-Technical Losses
(NTLs) have been rigorously reviewed and its economic impacts
are also highlighted. Proposed framework elucidates that
appropriate monitoring of extraction of current at different check
points, restrain the fraudulent behavior of customer or TOE.

India installed
power capacity
(255,012 MW) [9]

Index Terms--Non-technical losses; power supply; tempering

in meters; theft of electricity.
Technical losses
(Easily estimated
& minimized up to
an extend)

I. INTRODUCTION

LECTRICAL power is a miraculous force, and it became

an vital part of our daily life. It acts as the remedy over
natural effects i.e. gives us luminosity and heat when it is
dark and cold. That is how the electricity plays an imperative
role towards human liberation and from the natural constraints
and contravenes the ordering of day and night. Industrialized
world contempt the importance of power and it is taken for
granted by almost everyone [1]-[7]. The socio-economic
development of a country is reviewed on the basis of its
electrical power consumption, and the correct estimation of
economic status is only possible when the losses in power
system appropriately estimated [2], [3], [4], [6], [7]. In India
the percentage of transmission and distribution losses has been
quite high about 25-30 percent of total installed power or
approximately 64000 MW [8]. According to World Bank,
India ranked third after Iran, Islamic and Venezuela RB in the
list of transmission and distribution losses as percentage of
output in various countries of the world [8].
The term transmission and distribution losses refer to the
difference between the amount of energy delivered to the
distribution system and the amount of energy customers is
billed [1]-[7]. The energy losses are explained as,

Eloss  Egenerated  Ebilled

Various methods
are available to
minimize technical
losses

Minimization of
losses results

NTLs
(Hard to estimate
directly)

For overall
minimization of
losses NTLs
should be
detected and
minimized

(a) Efficient power

system
(b) Economic
development

Fig. 1 Losses in power system

Technical losses in power systems are naturally occurring
losses, which are caused by internal actions of power system
and consist mainly the power dissipation in electrical system
components such as transmission lines, power transformers,
switchgears and measuring instruments [1]-[7], [10], [11]. The
revenue loss due to technical losses can be expressed as,
(2)
Closs  Uloss  Eloss  M loss
where,
Closs = Revenue loss due to technical losses.

(1)

Uloss =Represents the unit cost of electricity.

Eloss =Represents the amount of energy lost.
M loss =Represents the maintenance and additional operational

where,
Eloss = Amount of energy lost,

Egenerated = Amount of energy delivered,

Ebilled =Amount of energy recorded or sold

costs
Whereas, NTLs are explained as the loads and condition that
the technical losses computation failed to take into account
[1]-[7]. NTLs losses are more complicated to quantify because
these losses are often unaccounted by the system operators and

A. Author is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of

Technology (Govt. Engineering College), Gopeshwar- 246401, India (e-mail:
mtechabhi1990@gmail.com).

978-1-4799-1734-1/15 $31.00 2015 IEEE

DOI 10.1109/ICACCE.2015.106

T&D losses
(25-30%)
Or
About (1/3 of total
generation)

280

thus there are no recorded or legally verified information [1][7], [12].

NTLs are mainly related to the electricity theft and customer
management processes in which there exist a number of means
of consciously defrauding the concerned utility. In most
developing countries, transmission and distribution losses
account for a tremendous fraction of NTLs, which implies that
electric utilities have to focus on reducing NTLs prior to
reducing technical losses only [12], [13].
Broadly, NTLs includes theft of electricity includes
tampering with meters to confirm the meter recorded a lower
consumption reading, tapping on LT lines, arranging false
readings by bribing meter readers, stealing by bypassing the
meter or otherwise making illegal connections, ignoring
unpaid bill, faulty energy meters or un-metered supply, errors
and delay in meter reading and billing, non-payment by
customers unauthorized line diversions, inadequacies and
inaccuracies of meter reading, inaccurate customer electricity
billing, poor revenue collection techniques, arranging billing
irregularities with the help of internal employees such as
making out lower bills and adjusting decimal point position on
bills, non-payment of electricity bills etc [1]-[8], [10]-[13].
Assessment of technical losses is quite easy, while there is no
direct method of estimation of NTLs. NTLs is calculated as,

CNTLs = Closs  CTloss

CNTLs = NTL cost component.

In [5] world bank showcase that in some Sub-Saharan

countries only 50% of electricity generated is paid for, it
highlighted the severity of transmission and distribution
losses. It has been also reported that the electricity supplied to
agriculture pumps are subsidized i.e. not metered, provides for
wasteful consumption and theft, where agricultural
consumption is estimated over 30% of total consumption in the
Sub-Saharan countries [5]

Transmission & Distribution Losses (%)

30

27

X: 2004
Y: 26

26

X: 2005
Y: 25

X: 2006
Y: 25

X: 2007
Y: 25

25

X: 2009
Y: 24

24

X: 2008
Y: 23

23
22
2005

2006
2007
Year (2004-09)

2008

(3)

In India the transmission and distribution losses are around

25-30 % [8]. In fig. 2 it has been scrutinized that there is an
improvement in transmission and distribution losses from year
2004 to 2008, while the states still face tremendous
transmission losses. The Jammu and Kashmir state of India
recorded transmission and distribution losses of about 63% of
total power supplied, whereas, Uttarakhand, Uttarpradesh,
Madhyapradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Manipur, Nagaland,
Arunanchal Pradesh and Mizoram states have 30%, 34%,
37%, 50%, 33%, 50%, 48%, 47% and 45% of transmission
and distribution losses respectively [8], [9]. Additionally, in
fig. 3 the transmission and distribution loss in different
countries has been highlighted. In 2004, Tenaga Nasional
Berhad the sole electricity provider in Peninsular Malaysia
recorded revenue losses as high as USD 229 million a year as
a result of electricity theft, billing errors and faulty metering
[1], [11]. Electrical power is the edified block of an economy,

CTloss =Represents the technical loss cost component

A. Economic Analysis of Non-Technical Losses
In India electricity theft leads to annual loss of about
US$4.5 billion i.e. 1.5% of GDP [6], [14]. The dilemma of
NTLs is not only faced by the least developed countries in the
Asian and African regions, but also in developed countries
such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom
[1], [5], [6].
25.39

Fig. 3 Transmission and distribution losses scenario of various countries around the globe [9]
281

U.S

U.K

Srilanka

Pakistan

Newzealand

Mexico

Korea

Malasiya

Japan

10

South Africa

Countries

Italy

Indonasia

4
Hungary

Germany

France

Brazil

China

Canada

Austria

Bnagladesh

Australia

India

15
10 10

Finland

10

Belgium

Argentina

20

17

15

2009

Fig. 2 Transmission and distribution losses of India [8]

Closs =Represents the revenue loss due to technical/additional

Transmission &
Distribution Losses (%)

28

21
2004

losses

30
25
20
15
10
5
0

29

It is proposed that theft detection over LT lines can be

possible by arranging current monitoring systems between the
poles. Under constant voltage, the current between the poles
are approximately same when it is assumed that no load is
connected between the poles. Whenever, an unauthorized load
has been connected between the poles there is an appreciable
change in the current. Moreover, this change in current is
recorded and location of theft i.e. location of insertion of
unauthorized load can be detected easily. For instance in fig. 4
it has been observed that the power utility supplies the power
to three poles denoted as A, B and C having current
transformer CT-A, CT-B and CT-C respectively.

so inorder to strengthen the economy proper monitoring of

losses has been planned and executed effectively.
II. METHODOLOGY
Fraudulent behavior of consumer comes into existence right
from the time energy measuring instruments has been invented,
and first recommendations for its fortification were given by
Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC) in 1899
[10]. The AEIC scrutinized that all the parts including the
meter installation were easily accessible to anyone [10], [15]
and can be tempered effortlessly. This paper confers a current
based monitoring methodology for the detection of theft of
electricity over low tension (LT) transmission lines.

Data Base

Power Distribution
Company

Pole A
(Current
TransformerCT A)

Pole B
(Current
TransformerCT B)

Communication
Network

Pole C
(Current
TransformerCT C)

Communication
Network
Comparator
Software Optimization/
Training

A=B=C
(No Theft)

AB
(Probable Theft
between Zone
A & Zone B)

No Action
Required

BC
(Probable Theft
between Zone
A & Zone C)

Historical Profiles
(if available)

Decision
Software Detection

Display
Most Precise Zone
Under Theft

Fig.4 Methodology

282

The CTs measure the current at each pole and sent it to the
comparator. Comparator section has a logical unit where
comparison has been done between the current readings from
CTs at different poles. According to the logic-:
 if current at CT-A = current at CT-B = current at CT-C, then
no theft has occurred,
 if current at CT-A current at CT-B, then theft has occurred
in the between zone A and B,
 if current at CT-B Current at CT-C then theft has occurred
in the between zone B and C.
Detection can be more precise if comparator output are
analysed with the historical detection data from data base. For
practical realization, hardware has also been designed. Fig. 5
showcases the circuit diagram of signal conditioner of the
hardware. Where, measurement of current has been done by
CTs at each pole, the output of CTs given to current to voltage
convertor. A voltage convertor having a fixed resistance i.e.
R1, so the voltage across the resistance R1 is V=IR1 and D1
& D2 are the diode of voltage regulator.

the amount of current extraction along with the position of

unauthorized load.

Fig. 5 Signal conditioner circuit of proposed system

Fig. 7 Hardware designed

Voltage regulator is responsible for the protection of ciruit

under the condition when the voltage exceeding 5V. Voltage
regulation has been done for +0.7 to  0.7V. The AC signal
from the voltage regulator converted to DC with the help of
active rectifier. Active rectifier circuit consists of resistance
R2, unipolar junction transistor U1 and diode D3. A 5V
pulsating DC fed to a filter circuit conisting of R3, C1 & R4
for constant DC.Then the signal is given to an amplifer circuit
R5, R6, R7 and U2. The output of amplifier circuit fed to
MCP 3204 anlog to digital convertor (ADC) a 12-bit and 4
channel ADC. ADC fed the digital values of all the CTs
reading to the microcontroller unit, and display the amount of
current exceeding the preset current value along with location
of current extraction i.e. on which pole the theft occured on
LCD display. An microcontroller 89C52 has been used for the
analyzing process.
Fig. 7 showcases the hardware designed, lamp holders are
analogous to the pole A, B and C. Whenever, a bulb i.e.
unauthorized load connected any of the pole it start extracts
the current above the preset current limit. Over extraction of
current has been detected by microcontroller unit and displays

III. CONCLUSION

LCD
Signal
Conditioner

Microcontroller
Unit

Analog to Digital
Convertor

Signal
Conditioner

Signal
Conditioner

CT
(Pole A)

CT
(Pole B)

CT
(Pole C)

Fig. 6 Block diagram of proposed system

This paper has identified the significance of NTLs when

transmission losses are estimated. Minimization of NTLs are
evenly essential as technical losses. Further it has been
asserted that unauthorised load can be detected by monitoring
of current levels, by using this, methodology for theft detection
over LT line has been proposed along with a hardware
approach. The drawback of proposed system is that, this
system is applicable for the pole sections where there is no
load connected between them.
IV. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of
Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Technology,
Gopeshwar, Uttarakhand, and Department of Electrical and
Electronics Engineering, Tulas Institute (the engineering &
management college), Dehradun for their support during the
work on the original version of this document.

283

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