1. Power theft
Theft of power is energy delivered to customers that is not measured by the energy meter for the customer.
Customer tempers the meter by mechanical jerks, placement of powerful magnets or disturbing the disc rotation with foreign matters, stopping the meters by remote control.
2. Metering inaccuracies
Losses due to metering inaccuracies are defined as the difference between the amount of energy actually delivered through the meters and the amount registered by the meters.
All energy meters have some level of error which requires that standards be established. Measurement Canada, formerly Industry Canada, is responsible for regulating energy meter accuracy.
Statutory requirements are for meters to be within an accuracy range of +2.5% and – 3.5%. Old technology meters normally started life with negligible errors, but as their mechanisms aged they slowed down resulting in under-recording. Modern electronic meters do not under-record with age in this way.
Consequently, with the introduction of electronic meters, there should have been a progressive reduction in meter errors. Increasing the rate of replacement of mechanical meters should accelerate this process
3. Unmetered losses for very small load
Unmetered losses are situations where the energy usage is estimated instead of measured with an energy meter. This happens when the loads are very small and energy meter installation is economically impractical.
Examples of this are street lights and cable television amplifiers.
4. Unmetered supply
Unmetered supply to agricultural pumps is one of the major reasons for commercial losses. In most states, the agricultural tariff is based on the unit horsepower (H.P.) of the motors. Such power loads get sanctioned at the low load declarations.
Once the connections are released, the consumers increasing their connected loads, without obtaining necessary sanction, for increased loading, from the utility. Further estimation of the energy consumed in unmetered supply has a great bearing on the estimation of T&D losses on account of inherent errors in estimation.
Most of the utilities deliberately overestimate the unmetered agricultural consumption to get higher subsidy from the State Govt. and also project. reduction in losses. In other words higher the estimates of the unmetered consumption, lesser the T&D loss figure and vice versa.
Moreover the correct estimation of unmetered consumption by the agricultural sector greatly depends upon the cropping pattern, ground water level, seasonal variation, hours of operation etc.
5. Error in Meter Reading
Proper calibrated meter should be used to measure electrical energy. Defective energy meter should be replaced immediately. The reason for defective meter are burning of meters, burn out terminal box of meter due to heavy load, improper C.T.ratio and reducing the recording, improper testing and calibration of meters.
6. Billing problems
Faulty and untimely serving bill should be main part of non-technical Losses.
Normal complain regarding billing are not receipt of bill, late receipt of bill, receiving wrong bill, wrong meter reading, wrong tariff, wrong calculations.
