RevenueProtection Article PDF

Utilities lose around $200 billion annually to technical and non-technical losses. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) helps utilities combat electricity theft and other losses by detecting tampering and unusual activity in real-time. AMI provides utilities data to analyze consumption patterns and flag abnormal meter operation, helping identify an estimated $6 billion in annual losses in the US. Utilities now use analytics software to leverage AMI data, model networks, and rapidly pinpoint suspected theft cases. This allows for quicker resolution of issues and reduced losses over time.

Uploaded by

Umar Abdulganiyu

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

0% found this document useful (0 votes)

55 views2 pages

RevenueProtection Article PDF

Uploaded by

Umar Abdulganiyu

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

You are on page 1/ 2

Revenue Protection:

Utilities Turn to Advanced Technology

to Combat Revenue Losses

Utilities around the world lose billions of dollars from energy from registering, slowing down the meter with
technical and non-technical losses. Whether it is objects like magnets, inverting the meter in the socket
electricity theft, such as illegal hookups and altered and diverting electricity away from the meter by tapping
meters, or technical losses, such as equipment failure directly into the distribution line.
or line losses, an estimated $200 billion in utility revenue
Energy theft and diversion has a direct effect on the
is lost each year. Technical losses aren’t minimal, but
end-users and consumers, as utility losses result in
non-technical losses such as electricity theft or diversion
higher rates for all. Additionally, energy theft reduces
can be significant. In some cases, non-technical losses
grid stability and reliability, poses potential danger
have become the key incentive for the deployment of
to those in the immediate area and increases
advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to help curb
the risk of fire or electrocution due to improperly
electricity theft.
installed bypasses.
In the Latin American country Ecuador,
electricity theft adds up to over $200 How AMI reduces losses
million per year. India, for example,
reports $16 billion in losses. In North The installation of AMI has provided utilities
America, Canada loses hundreds of with new tools to more efficiently identify and
millions of dollars to energy theft reduce instances of energy theft. Before
each year, and in the U.S., up to widespread advanced metering installations,
$6 billion is lost. As a result, utility theft detection often relied on utility workers
revenue protection strategies are spotting suspicious activity. Mechanical
becoming a top priority. meters are much easier to manipulate,
and with a single monthly read, meter data
Pinpointing energy theft can be was not as useful in tracking tell-tale trends.
a challenge, as those engaged in Advanced meters have the ability to detect
the activity often use sophisticated and alert utilities to instances of tampering and
methods. The most common forms of other cases of non-performing meters. It can notify the
energy theft include bypassing the meter to prevent utility immediately if there is unusual activity. Advanced
Leveraging the AMI investment

Landis+Gyr’s Advanced Grid Analytics software makes

it more efficient and easier for utilities to leverage their
AMI investments in many different ways—to analyze
consumption and event patterns, to flag abnormal
meter operation and also to locate tampered, slowed,
stopped or spiking meters. Landis+Gyr’s Advanced Grid
Analytics Revenue Protection application helps utilities
identify malfunctioning meters, theft and ultimately lost
revenue. The application offers a quickly deployable,
results-oriented solution that is capable of utilizing usage
and events data from one-way and two-way advanced
metering systems. It also takes meter events and
metering can also provide utilities a way to ensure the weather patterns into consideration when analyzing
services delivered are billed accurately, thus preventing the consumption data.
revenue losses. The application utilizes the available data to optimize
“The data available from advanced meters has the results with a higher ROI for the utility—including use
been an eye-opener for many utilities,” says Dave of meter reads, meter events, CIS information, weather
Connaker, General Manager, Advanced Grid Analytics data, network modeling data and much more. The user
at Landis+Gyr. “Not only has AMI been key in locating can then add, delete, tweak and optimize the rule sets
theft and other losses, it has helped quantify the amount and thresholds based on the available data, the utilities’
of energy delivered versus what’s being billed and specific use cases and consumer behavior. The users
recovered. Previously, you didn’t know what was lost can easily create a list of meters that can be provided
for months. Now you can see an up-to-date picture.” to the work management system for further field
investigation.
Beyond the meter itself, analyzing this interval metering
data is changing the way utilities combat theft. Utilities Additionally, advanced grid analytics software is highly
are now able to incorporate real-time analytical tools into configurable and customizable—including advanced
their loss prevention programs, leverage advanced meter filters and pattern-matching capabilities—that allows
data to model and monitor patterns, make predictions utilities to accurately detect specific use cases within
to ensure the stability of the network and rapidly identify their service territory.
losses. These analytics capabilities have enabled utilities A complex and modern grid will always require
to pinpoint, isolate and identify suspected cases of theft innovation and new levels of technology to protect
and unusual instances in energy consumption, which in utility revenue against losses. With advances in new
turn, has dramatically reduced the time and expenditure technology and analytics capabilities, utilities will
of resolving instances of energy theft. continue to develop revenue protection strategies to
prevent and eliminate losses, meet and address future
revenue protection challenges as well as maintain a
safer operation.

678.258.1500 | landisgyr.com