Power theft: Major cause of non technical losses in Indian distribution sector

Indian distribution sector is constantly facing energy crises. With the increasing dependency on electrical and electronics appliances the demand of power is rapidly increasing. Extensive work is going on to increase the generation capacity by encouraging renewable energy integration for generation diversification, energy conservation and regulations, development of open access energy markets etc. but simultaneously it is also important to optimally use the existing generation capacity. Electricity theft and meter tampering is one of the most important causes of increasing gap in demand and supply and poor financial condition of distribution sector in the country. Unaccounted energy due to theft is a barrier in the growth of Indian economy. With the advancements in metering technologies different new ideas of illegal electricity theft are also being introduced by consumers. This scenario is very challenging for the profitable operation of distribution sector and putting them in loss. In this paper we have discussed meter tampering and theft issues and their drawbacks. Smart meter can work as the best solution to control theft events due of its features of remote data communication and connect /disconnect ability.