A Solution to Remote Detecting of Illegal
Electricity Usage Based on Smart Metering
A. Pasdar, S. Mirzakuchaki,
Industrial and Science University of Iran
Amirmehdi_pasdar@ee.iust.ac.ir , M_kuchaku@iust.ac.ir
Abstract— Power line carrier communication presents new
area for automatic meter reading, by equipped energy meter
with power line system all user connect each other with this
communication method, Smart metering uses all potential of
this communication channel to presents new service in low
voltage distribution grid. by installing smart meter detection
system for detect illegal usage of electricity may be easily added
to distribution network, in this method by sending test signal at
high frequency in network, software calculates line impedance
that connect each two energy meters, by comparing the data
that related to installation time with other times data, system
can find and locate place of illegal usage of electricity.
Index Terms—Smart meter, Automatic meter reading, find
illegal usage of electricity
I. INTRODUCTION
T HE automatic meter reading (AMR) systems has been
installed in many countries and use by many energy
suppliers , this system introduced to make ability for remote
reading of customer’s energy consumption [1]. AMR is based
on different communication technique for transferring data to
long distance. Wireless and power line carrier
communication are two economical solution for automatic
meter reading, but power line carrier communication is more
economical solution in cooperation with wireless system
[2][3][4]. Power line carrier communication (PLC) is a kind
of technique to transmit data over power line in low voltage
side. In PLC we modulate data over specific carrier
frequency and transmit it over power line, so every users who
connected to low voltage side of power line in the same
phase can act as data node. If an AMR system may be
established in a power network every user connected each
other via power line. Because of powerful ability that such
system provides to us we can introduce new system that be
more than just meter reading, this system is famous as smart
metering. Smart metering provides more ability in supplies
network, such as
transferring of command and more data. In this effort we
want to introduce a new approach for detect and find illegal
connection in power line grid based on smart metering.
978-1-4244-1608-0/07/$25.00 ©2007 IEEE.
Illegal usage of electricity is a big problem in many
countries. In such usage user make a illegal connection to
electricity grid and him/ her connection doesn’t pass throw a
meter, so without any payment he or she can use energy.
Illegal usage of electricity has two major disadvantage,
from a economical point of view this usage of electricity
destroy suppliers budget ,because they provide energy to
many node without any return ,just in turkey, energy and
natural resource minister said that 19% of total electricity
consumption in turkey is illegal [5]. He went on to say:
“illegal use was around 12% in 1997, which is equivalent to
8.8 billion kilowatt per hour. This is worth more than $500
million.” Up to now we talk about economical disadvantage
of this usage of electricity, but the another major problem is
technological disadvantage. Electrical grid design for specific
volume of customers, this grid can provide specific kilowatt
hour energy for costumer and illegal usage of electricity can
cause a critical technical problem for suppliers, and planning
of national energy may be difficult in the case of unrecorded
usage. This kind of usage may be a serious problem in many
countries like turkey, as we know this problem has been
attempted to be resolved in many countries such Iran, the
methods like security, police, etc. This method could not give
the optimum solution due to their impracticalities; this study
attempt to talk about solution to solve illegal usage of
electricity problem based on smart metering and developed
meters.
II. DETECTION OF ILLEGAL ELECTRICITY USAGE
A. History [5]
In October 2004 Hakki cavdar suggest a new method for
detection of illegal usage based on automatic meter reading.
First we talk about his hypothesis to describe better of his
new method. He assume that illegal usage of electricity may
be happened in following ways.
1) Using the mechanical objects: A subscriber can use
some mechanical objects to prevent the revolution of a meter,
so the disk speed is reduced and the recorded energy is also
reduced.
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2) Using a fixed magnet: A subscriber can use a fixed
magnet to change the electromagnetic field of the current
coils. As we know, the mechanical energy meter is based on
the electromagnetic field.
3) Using the external phase before meter terminals: This
method gives subscribers free energy without any record.
4) Switching the energy cables at the meter connector
box: In this way, the current does not pass through the
current coil of the meter, so the meter does not record the
energy consumption.
Fig. 1. Cavdar’s method for illegal usage of
electricity
As cavdar said first two methods are valid for mechanical
meter and in digital meter subscriber cants use energy in
illegal way, but the last two method are valid for both
mechanical and digital energy meters.
The proposed system for detection of illegal usage of
electricity is shown in fig. 1. power line carrier signal can
transfer only in low voltage side of distribution transformer,
and PLC signal’s that blocked in transformer cant’ pass it, so
this topology must be repeated for each transformer. In his
method each energy meter is equipped with PLC modems
and digital energy meter IC. PLC modem must be send and
receive data via power line by modulating or demodulating
data over or from carrier frequency that travel over power
line 220v signal, PLC signaling must be in CENELEC or
FCC standards, EN50065-1 is formed by CENELEC, and
frequency bands and signaling level for each usage is shown.
3-95KHz are restricted for use by electricity suppliers, and
95-148.5KHz are restricted to consumer use. The signal level
at this band has regularity limitation. For general use, the
signaling level is limited to 116μv, and for particular
applications, e.g., industrial areas, the signaling level is
limited to 134μv, the recorded data in energy meter send to
central room via PLC modem. In transformer site a main
energy meter records the total energy that use in grid. Cavdar
method based on this recorded data, if the energy that the
main energy meter show , be higher than the addition of each
customer energy meter then system detect a illegal usage of
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electricity , because some energy usage don’t record by the
legal energy meter, because those energy don’t pass energy
meter’s to use, in his method each energy meter has one
energy meter IC like ade7751,so the energy record both in
mechanical and digital way, he assume that if mechanical
part for any reason cant calculate right energy value, then the
mechanical recorded data and digital unit recorded data have
difference with each other , so the energy suppliers can easily
find the energy meter that had stroked [ 6].
In many cases, in which some one using extra cable before
mechanical part terminal, if we assume that the digital unit be
before this illegal connection his method can show the illegal
connection, but in many cases and many countries such India
the illegal node in many cases connect directly to power line
of street and the load feed directly from main power line
without any energy meter and any record of energy
consumption data. From a reality point cavdar’s method is
only valid for detecting illegal usage of electricity in one low
voltage grid, but for showing the place of illegal connection
this method in many cases has now usage, in this effort we
want to introduce new way for finding a place of illegal
electricity usage based on smart metering.
B. New method for finding an illegal connection
Fig. 2. Smart metering block diagram
The new method that we want to describe is based on smart
metering.
In fig. 2. the basic block diagram of smart meter is shown, as
you see in fig. 2. this kind of energy meter has more ability
than just automatic meter reading, one unit of smart meter act
as traditional AMR, this unit measure energy consumption
based on mechanical measuring or digital measuring. In
mechanical kind measurement is based on disk and
electromagnetic field. In mechanical AMR an optical sensor
use for detection of disk movement, this sensor send digital
pulse to microcontroller unit, and a counter in
microcontroller of energy meter counts disk routing, by
counting the disk routing system can measure energy
 A. M. Pasdar, S. Mirzakouchaki • A Solution to Remote Detecting of Illegal Electricity Usage Based on Smart Metering

consumption. In digital AMR the energy meter IC such grid, operator send special command to system for
ade7751 calculates energy consumption based on voltage and disconnect, at this time all the energy meter in grid must be
current data that received from current and voltage disconnect from main voltage, so we have only some
transformer. Relay is another part of smart meter, by using inductor in grid, if we have specific impedance at the end of
this unit energy suppliers can turn on or off energy meter the grid, at this moment little current follow in the mesh,
from distance without any physical attempting, the control because of energy meter disconnection this current only has
command send from energy supplier via power line carrier relation with end grid impedance.
signal. For finding place of illegal node in this method we Power line impedance is very little at 50 Hz, in this
need to have access to turn on or off energy meter’s method for grid characteristic record we send 2v at 150 KHz
signal against 220V at 50 Hz, because of energy meter
C. Method description disconnection this sending hasn’t any side effect. At 150
KHz signal the power line has good impedance per meter, the
In this method we use power line characteristic to determine power line impedance at this frequency must be about 1ȍ / m
the illegal node. , so by smart meter analog to digital converter we can read
different voltage at different node.
Table I [7] Imagine a grid with three energy meter, each energy meter
Low voltage power line characteristic connect to another energy meter with 10m cable.
D.Reactance
Electronic Resistance
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As you see in table I the reactance of over head power line

is very negligible at 50 Hz, in short distance like our grid the
capacitance of line is very negligible although in high
frequency and the line act only as a inductor [8][9][10][11]. Fig. 4. Spice simulation circuit
The reactance of inductor shown in equation 1
reac tan ce 2SfL (1)
As we shown in equation 1 the reactance of inductor has
direct relationship with frequency, so if we work at higher
frequency the value of this reactance must be higher than
reactance at 50Hz. if we assume the reactance of overhead
power line be .3 ȍ per kilometer at 50 HZ, this value must be
0.9 per meter at 150 KHz.
Photographs and grayscale figures should be prepared with
220 dpi resolution and saved with no compression, 8 bits per
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Color figures should be prepared with 400 dpi resolution
Fig. 5. Simulation result for grid at normal situation
and 150 kHz test signal sending

Fig. 4. Show example circuit with three node for

Fig. 3. sample low voltage grid
In fig. 3. basic low voltage grid is shown, power line is
shown as inductors and load in costumer’s home is shown as
impedance. After installation of smart meter in low voltage
simulation, the inductor’s value considered for 10m cable,
and end grid impedance is steed to 1 kȍ. At first we send 2v
at 150 KHz signal to grid. In fig. 5. simulation result is
shown, as you see in the simulation result node voltage have
sensible difference with each, and the pick to pick of node
voltage is about common analog to digital converter, but at

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220 signal it is very difficult to build high resolution analog from main and only illegal node is in grid, so the impedance
to digital converter. So by 150 KHz test signal we can easily of line that connect to this node at our software after sending
record node voltage at the installation time. test signal must be changed, so we easily find illegal node at
Because we now the current that follow in grid when we the map.
send test signal, by applying node voltage and famous ohm
law we can find impedance of each line that connect to
energy meter to each other, we save those impedance for
each to node in our database.
Now imagine one illegal connection is in our grid, this
illegal connection may have two positions:
1) if someone use extra phase before his or her energy
meter the illegal node is parallel with legal node.
2) if someone connect his or her load directly to main
power line of street the illegal node must be between
to legal node.

Fig. 7b. Illegal node when node be between two legal

node

In fig. 7b. the illegal node is between two legal node this
means that someone connect his or her load directly o the
main power line of street. At the example we divide the cable
that connect energy meter number one to energy meter
number two to inductor and connect the illegal node to
division point.
Fig. 6. Example of one illegal connection in grid or
when this node be paralleled with illegal node

Fig. 6. show example for illegal node when this node is

paralleled with legal node. We assumed at this simulation
that the illegal impedance be 100 ȍ and this illegal node
paralleled with energy meter number 2. now we re simulate
this grid by following legal voltage from node one to end
node and compare those voltage with recorded voltage we
can understand that at illegal node the impedance of power
line was changed, because all legal node was disconnected

Fig. 8. simulation result for illegal node that

connected between to legal node.

As shown in fig. 8. The node voltage that we record when

sending test signal is changed. Now if we read node voltage
and imagine that we have only one illegal node, by applying
the current that follow to grid and node voltage we can
recalculate the new impedance of between two nodes. By
comparing the new impedance and recorded impedance we
can determine the two node that illegal node is between them,
and show it on map.
At this method we need two kind of smart energy meter
Fig. 7. Simulation result for kind one of illegal 1) The energy meter that installed at costumer’s home.
connection position This smart meter must has ability to disconnect the

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 A. M. Pasdar, S. Mirzakouchaki • A Solution to Remote Detecting of Illegal Electricity Usage Based on Smart Metering
home’s load from main voltage by receiving the
disconnection command from server. Also this smart
meter must has ability two read the RMS voltage of
test signal that it reads.
2) The smart meter that install at center transformer.
This smart meter must has ability to generate test
signal and disconnect grid from main voltage and
send test signal to grid, this smart meter also must
has ability to read the current that follow in grid
when that test signal is sent.
D. Method steps
1) when grid is installed , disconnect all load and main
voltage from grid and send test signal to grid
2) record all node voltage and the main current that
follow from main energy meter to the grid
3) calculate impedance of each line that connect to
energy meter and save those impedance by nods
name in the database
4) at normal operation of grid , compare the total
power that use in grid by reading main energy
meter, to addition of all energy meter value, if those
two value have difference you find illegal usage at
your grid, if this cooperation step repeat in short
period of time you can detect illegal usage at the
first connection of it.
5) After detect illegal usage disconnect all load from
main and main voltage by ending off command to
grid
6) Send test signal to grid
7) Read all node RMS voltage and current that follow
to grid from main energy meter
8) By applying the detection method that explain above
you can find the place of illegal node
III. CONCLUSION
By using smart meter and basic software for monitoring
the low voltage grid, energy supplier can monitor their grid
easily and find the place of illegal energy usage in their grid
if this problem existed.
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