Anti-Electricity Theft Model for Sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria

Abstract

In Nigeria today, as in most parts of the world, Power Distribution Companies face several challenges, among which is electricity theft. Electricity theft is simply the practice of bypassing, stealing, or utilizing electricity without payment. The most common forms of electricity theft in Nigeria, for instance, are meter bypass and illegal hook connections by consumers who attempt to defraud the system by not paying for power used in their households and businesses. A schematic method is adopted to mitigate this pervasive issue, ensuring that authorities have real-time knowledge when consumers engage in illicit practices. The designed system hybridizes technical and non-technical methods, integrating a smart resistance module capable of controlling both technical and non-technical losses caused by consumers, thereby enhancing the scheme's sensitivity. This system incorporates a feedback mechanism designed for easy communication to the control room, which will inject third harmonics into the consumer’s line immediately upon detection of meter bypass. Simulation was conducted using Simulink MATLAB, and the results obtained indicated that the system offers significant improvement compared to approaches that tackle either non-technical or technical aspects independently.