IoT Based Electricity Theft Detection System

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Introduction

Electricity theft is a major issue affecting power utilities and national economies. According to Islamabad Times, nearly 360 billion rupees worth of electricity was stolen in 2022-23. This IoT-based solution detects unauthorized consumption by monitoring the current differential in a circuit using ACS712 sensors. If theft is detected, the system disconnects the power using a relay, activates a buzzer, and sends an SMS alert to the configured number via GSM.

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Project Overview

This smart electricity meter is built using:

• Arduino UNO: Microcontroller for logic processing.
• ACS712 Current Sensors: Measure current at two different points.
• LCD 16x2 Display: Show current readings and alerts.
• Relay Module: Cuts off power if theft is detected.
• Buzzer: Audible alert on theft.
• GSM Module: Sends SMS to user (in expanded version).
• Potentiometer (10k): Controls contrast for LCD.

The system compares two current values. If the difference exceeds a threshold, it assumes power is being illegally diverted.

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Features

• Dual Current Monitoring using ACS712 sensors
• Differential Current Detection to spot theft
• Relay Cutoff + Buzzer Alarm when theft is detected
• SMS Alert via GSM module (optional/expandable)
• Real-Time LCD Display of current values and theft status
• Auto Reset After Alert (if desired via code update)

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Hardware Components

Component	Quantity
Arduino UNO	1
ACS712 Current Sensor (20A)	2
LCD Display (16x2)	1
Relay Module	1
Buzzer	1
GSM Module (SIM800L)	1 (optional)
Potentiometer (10k)	1
Jumper Wires	-
Breadboard/PCB	1
Power Supply	1

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Working Principle

1. The system constantly measures current from two separate points using ACS712 sensors.
2. If both values are close (within threshold), the system assumes normal usage.
3. If there's a significant difference, the system detects power theft.
4. On detection:
   • The relay is triggered to cut off power.
   • A buzzer sounds an alert.
   • A message is sent via GSM (if configured).

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Software Flow & Logic

Working Logic

• Read both sensors and calculate current values
• Compute differential current
• If differentialCurrent ≥ threshold (e.g., 50):
  • Display “POWER THEFT”
  • Trigger relay + buzzer
  • Optionally send SMS alert
• Else, display both currents and differential

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Pin Configuration

Component	Arduino Pin
LCD RS, E, D4-D7	D7, D6, D5, D4, D3, D2
ACS712 Sensor 1	A0
ACS712 Sensor 2	A1
Buzzer	D8
Relay	D9
GSM TX/RX	D10/D11 (if used)

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Code Summary

• Libraries Used: LiquidCrystal
• Sensor Sensitivity: 100mV/A
• Voltage Reference: 5V (5000 mV)
• Offset Voltage: 2500 mV (for both sensors)
• RMS Calculation: (Vpeak - offset) / sensitivity / √2

> Ensure that ACS712 sensors are properly calibrated and isolated from mains supply!

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Sample Output

LCD Display: I1 = 2.55 I2 = 2.53 A Vd = 0.02

OR

POWER THEFT !! -Disconnected-

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SMS Alert Integration

To enable SMS alerts:

• Connect SIM800L GSM module
• Use Serial to send AT commands
• Configure destination number using AT+CMGS

Example:

Serial.println("AT+CMGF=1");
Serial.println("AT+CMGS=\"+923XXXXXXXXX\"");
Serial.println("Power Theft Detected!");

Future Enhancements

• Integrate IoT Cloud Platform (e.g., ThingSpeak, Blynk) for remote monitoring
• Replace GSM with Wi-Fi (ESP8266) for real-time internet connectivity
• Develop a Mobile App Dashboard for live data tracking
• Incorporate Machine Learning models to analyze and predict theft behavior
• Add an Auto Reset Relay function after theft alert acknowledgment

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Applications

This system has wide-ranging real-world use cases, particularly in countries facing energy theft and distribution losses. Some of the key applications include:

• Residential Electricity Monitoring: Detect unauthorized connections or tampering in household energy usage.
• Commercial & Industrial Energy Management: Prevent illegal power usage in factories, shops, and commercial facilities.
• Smart Grid Integration: Can be scaled into smart grids for automated theft detection and control at the transformer/distribution level.
• Utility Company Deployment: Helps utility providers reduce revenue losses and monitor consumer integrity.
• Educational & Research Projects: Ideal for IoT, embedded systems, and energy efficiency-based academic research or student final-year projects.
• Remote Locations Monitoring: With GSM/WiFi integration, the system can operate in remote areas without physical inspection.
• Tamper Detection in Prepaid/Postpaid Meters: Add-on module to modern meters for enhanced security and power usage audit.

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
LCD not displaying	Check potentiometer setting and wiring
No current reading	Calibrate sensor, verify VCC & GND
Relay not switching	Confirm digital HIGH signal and connections
GSM not working	Use active SIM, check signal & power supply
False theft alerts	Tune or raise the differential threshold

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. Feel free to use, modify, and distribute it with proper attribution.

Demo Video

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ea9b1b55-9d12-4969-9dc2-6b3e9aedabbd

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Remarks: