Electricity theft is a major issue for India's power industry, resulting in estimated annual losses of $4.5 billion or 1.5% of GDP. Theft occurs through tampering with meters, bypassing meters, illegal wiring taps, and billing irregularities. Some common technical solutions to reduce theft include electronic tamper detection meters, pre-payment meters, plastic meter enclosures, anti-theft cabling, and using technologies like GSM and PLCs to monitor electricity distribution networks. Non-technical approaches also aim to increase accountability and enforcement of laws against electricity theft.

1. ELECTRICITY
THEFT
A MAJOR ISSUE IN POWER
INDUSTRY
PRESENTED BY:
1 FAEQ AZIM
MOHD. HUZAIFA
SAYEMA SAMDANI

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 India’s generation capacity
 India’s consumption capacity
 Deficit
 Electricity theft
 Major causes of electricity theft
 Measures to control theft
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 Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION
Many developing countries confront widespread theft of
electricity from government owned power utilities.
In India electricity theft leads to annual losses estimated at
US$4.5 billion, about 1.5 percent of GDP.
Who are the losers??
Honest consumers, poor people, and those without
connections, who bear the burden of high tariffs, system
inefficiencies, and inadequate and unreliable power supply.
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4. INDIA’S GENERATION CAPACITY
The Installed Capacity of the country as on 31st
December, 2011 was 1,86, 655 MW as depicted
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5. 5

6. DEFICIT
India has been facing growing shortages over the past five
years.
During the year 2007-08
peak deficit:8,000 MW (16.5%)
average energy shortage:73 Billion kWh (10%).
During the year 2008-09
peak deficit 13,000 MW (12%)
average energy shortage: 86 Billion kWh (11%).
During the year 2009-10
peak deficit:5,157 MW (12.7%)
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average energy shortage:84 Billion kWh (10.1%).

7. 7

8. ELECTRICITY
THEFT
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9. WHAT IS ELECTRICITY THEFT….???
 It is the use of electrical power without a contract
with a supplier with total or partial bypassing metering
system
OR
 Interfering this system in the way to adulterate its
measurements.
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10. MAJOR CAUSES OF ELECTRICITY THEFT
Absence of accountability.
Inadequate and ineffective enforcement of law.
Political protection to employees and influential
customers.
Customer attitude: “Immoral to steal from
neighbor but legitimate to steal from state’’.
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11. WHERE DOES ELECTRICITY THEFT
OCCUR MOST COMMONLY
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12. ELECTRICITY THEFT METHODS
Meters:
•Tampering with meters and seals
•By-passing the meters
•Damaging or removing meters
Wires/ Cables:
• Illegal tapping to bare wires or underground cables
Transformers:
•Illegal terminal taps of overhead lines on the low side
of the transformer
Billing irregularities made by meter readers.
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Unpaid bills by individuals, government institutions and
“untouchable” VIPs.

13. FEW OTHER WAYS FOR POWER THEFT
‡
Use of single phase supply from three phase supply.
Disconnected neutral from both the ends.
Used earth/separate neutral for return circuit.
Connecting phase voltage to neutral of used single phase
supply. Potential difference w.r.t. neutral of used single
phase supply is zero. Hence power product of voltage and
current, will be zero.
Isolating neutral from both ends.
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14. THEFT OCCURS WHEN:
An illegal consumer(not a registered customer) steals
directly from the distribution lines or from another legal
customer.
A legal customer(registered customer) steals either
bypassing the meter (connecting around the meter to a
live cable on the company side of the meter) or
tampering with the meter to make it read less or no
consumption.
There is a collusion between the customer and a
company employee to reduce the amount paid to the
company (with lower side payments to the employee in14
return).

15. LOSSES FROM “DELHI PRIVATISATION PROCESS” BSES
EXPERIENCE BY J P CHALASANI,CEO OF R POWER
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16. METER TAMPERING
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17. ILLEGAL WIRING
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18. OTHER WAYS TO STEAL ELECTRICITY
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19. 19

20. HOW CAN ELECTRICITY THEFT BE
REDUCED
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21. NON TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS
 Financial rewards:
Utility companies encourage consumers to report
electricity theft
‡
 Periodic checks:
Electricity theft frequently takes place after service has
been disconnected. Some utility companies periodically
check disconnected meters if the customer has
not contacted them to reconnect service.
Enforcement of law: Fines should be imposed by the
government for stealing electricity. 21

22. •Taps, makes or causes to be made any connection with
overhead, underground or under water lines or cables, or
service wires, or service facilities of a licensee;
•Tampers a meter, installs or uses a tampered meter, current
reversing transformer, loop connection or any other device or
method which interferes with accurate or proper registration,
calibration or metering of electric current or otherwise results in
a manner whereby electricity is stolen or wasted.
• Damages or destroys an electric meter, apparatus,
equipment, or wire or causes or allows any of them to be so
damaged or destroyed as to interfere with the proper or
accurate metering of electricity, so as to abstract or consume or
use electricity shall be punishable with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to three years or with fine or with 22
both.

23. TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS
Electronic tamper detection meter
Pre payment meters
Plastic meter encasements
Anti theft cable
Using GSM
Using PLCs
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24. Electronic Tamper Detection Meters
Automatic detection of :
•Meter tamper
•Meter Bypass
•Meter disconnection
Pre-Payments Meters
•Credit added to the meter on the
keypad.
•Credit is purchased on the
recharegable token and entered
to the meter with disconnection 24
ability

25. Plastic meter encasements
Hard plastic encasements are a
type of meter seal. These
transparent plastic covers serve
as a warning.
Anti theft cable
Plastic layer
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26. USING GSMs
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27. REFERENCES
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28. THANK YOU
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