Commercial Losses in Electrical Systems
Commercial losses are caused by pilferage, theft, defective meters, and errors in meter reading and in estimating un-metered supply of energy.
Box: Reasons for commercial losses
- Non-performing and under-performing meters.
- Wrong application of multiplying factors.
- Defects in CT and PT circuitry.
- Non-reading of meters.
- Pilferage by manipulating or bypassing of meters.
- Theft by direct tapping, etc.
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All these losses are because of non-metering or under-metering of actual consumption. Non-technical losses occur at several places in a distribution system.
Table: Losses Due to Non-technical Reasons
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• Loss at consumer end
meters
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• Poor accuracy of meters,
• Large errors in CTs/PTs,
• Voltage drop in PT cables,
• Loose connections in PT wire terminations,
• Overburdened CT.
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• Tampering/bypass of
meters
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• Where meters without tamper-proof/tamper-deterrent/tamper-evident meters are used,
• Poor quality sealing of meters,
• Lack of seal issue, seal monitoring and management system,
• Shabby installation of meters and metering systems,
• Exposed CTs/PTs where such devices are not properly securitised.
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• Pilferage of energy
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• From overhead "bare" conductors.
• From open junction boxes (in cabled systems),
• Exposed connections/joints in service cables,
• Bypassing the neutral wires in meters.
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• Energy accounting
system
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• Lack of proper instrumentation (metering) in feeders and DTs for carrying out energy audits,
• Not using meters with appropriate data logging features in feeder and DT meters,
• Lack of a system for carrying out regular (monthly) energy accounting to monitor losses,
• Errors in sending end meters, CTs and PTs,
• Loose connections in PT wires (which results in low voltage at feeder meter terminals),
• Energy accounting errors (by not following a scientific method for energy audits).
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• Errors in meter reading
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• Avoiding meter reading due to several causes like house locked, meter not traceable, etc.
• Manual (unintentional errors) in meter reading,
• Intentional errors in meter reading (collusion by meter readers),
• Coffee shop reading,
• Data punching errors (at MRI end by meter readers),
• Data punching errors by data entry operators,
• Lack of validation checks,
• Lack of management summaries and exception reports on meter reading.
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• Errors in bills
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• Errors in raising the correct bill,
• Manipulation/changes made in meter reading at billing centres - lack of a system to assure integrity in data,
• Lack of system to ensure bills are delivered.
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• Receipt of payment
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• Lack of system to trace defaulters including regular defaulters,
• Lack of system for timely disconnection,
• Care to be taken for reliable disconnection of supply (where to disconnect).
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