RELIABLE ELECTRICITY METERING SYSTEMS - REVENUE MANAGEMENT - Nathi & Ntsiki Nkwanyana & Mpiyakhe Mashinini

RELIABLE ELECTRICITY METERING
   SYSTEMS – REVENUE MANAGEMENT

Nathi & Ntsiki Nkwanyana & Mpiyakhe Mashinini

CONTENTS

   Introduction
   Meter Engineering Vs Revenue Protection
   Procurements of Meters
   Revenue Protection Projects
   Disconnections & Reconnections
   Sweep (Meter Inspections) – Residential & Business Customers (CT Driven
    Meters
   Installation of Split Prepayment Meters
   Removal of Illegal Services
   Forensic Investigation
   Electrification of Informal Settlements
   Protective Structures
   Conclusion

INTRODUCTION
           OUR PROFILE
The main parameters which define the Electricity Unit (EU) are:
   Area of Supply:         2 000 km²
   Number of Customers: 711 095 (95% of formalised dwellings)
   Number of Employees: Est. 2 300
   Peak Demand & Sales: 1 828 MW & 10 745 GWh
   Annual Turnover:        R 9,4 billion (2012/2013)
   Asset Value:           R 18,3 billion
   Voltage Levels:         *275 kV, 132 kV, 33 kV, 11 kV
                              (*Only municipality with this voltage level.)

Electricity is extremely dangerous, life-threatening and cannot be seen.

It is an essential service required 24 hours a day, 365,days a year. It has huge social
and economic impacts if not managed properly.

Highly technical business requiring highly competent engineering personnel to make
effective decisions to ensure safety compliance in terms of the OHS Act and ensure
electrical network availability.

INTRODUCTION …
Distribution of Revenue From Sales

TOTAL % ENERGY LOSSES – ETHEKWINI
                                ELECTRICITY
10

8

6

4

2

0
     90/91   93/94      96/97   99/00        .02/03       .05/06   .08/09   .11/12

                                  TOTAL % ENERGY LOSSES

Electricity losses:
                        TOTAL % ENERGY LOSSES – OTHER
                           MUNICIPALITY – E…ARTICLE

                                              % Losses

 City of Tshwane                                         11

 City Power (Johannesburg)                               22

 Ekurhuleni                                              11

 eThekwnini (Durban)                                     6

 City of Cape Town                                       9

 Buffalo City (East London)                              11

 Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth)                     10

 Mangaung-Centlec                                        11

TOTAL % ENERGY LOSSES – OTHER
                   MUNICIPALITY – WORST PERFORMERS

                                          % Losses

Nquthu (KZN)                                         63
Nxuba (Adelaide)                                     47
Ngwathe (Parys)                                      45

Gariep (Burgersdorp)                                 42

Ulundi                                               41

Ditsobotla (Lichtenburg)                             40

Msukaligwa (Ermelo)                                  39

Madibeng (Brits)                                     38

Thembelihle (Hopetown)                               37

Govan Mbeki (Secunda)                                36

METER ENGINEERING VS REVENUE
                           PROTECTION

METER ENGINEERING
The Meter Engineering Branch is responsible for :-
Planning, designing, construction, inspection and maintenance of all commercial
  and industrial metering equipment used for billing purposes.
The acquisition, specification and commissioning of new metering technologies.

REVENUE PROTECTION DEFINATION
The steps and actions taken by the utility to Prevent, Eliminate, Minimise and
recover any loss of revenue due to theft or non-payment for services supplied to
consumers.
The principles and practices used for the protection of the environment and
consumers to ensure their safety from any harm, injury and electrocution due to the
unauthorized use of electricity.

UNCERTAINTY OF MESUREMENTS

                       Calibration
         Testing

                   Tolerance

       A MARGIN OF DOUBT

REDUCING UNCERTAINTY

                        Meter
                      Engineering
                        Branch

         Revenue
         Protection
          Branch

                                Customer
                             Services Branch

METER ENGINEERING BRANCH

    Technical          • The measurement processes and
                         established rules
Specifications – all
 types of meters.

 All CT/VT driven
meters (installation
and maintenance)

                       • Good practice – traceable
     Test and            Calibration and record keeping
    calibration

REVENUE PROTECTION BRANCH

                 • Controlling and managing the uncertainty
None Technical     in the measurement (readings ,
                   tampering, meter management )
 Management

                 • Controlling and managing the uncertainty
  Revenue          in the revenue collection (Disconnections)

  Protection

                 • Controlling and minimize the uncertainty
                   in the network (illegal connections)
   Network

REVENUE PROTECTION PROJECTS

 Disconnections & reconnections

 Meter inspections – Residential & CT Driven Meter Inspection.

 The Removal of Illegal connections

 Forensic Investigation.

 Protective Structures

 Strategic Projects :- Installation of Split Prepayment Meters & Electrification of
  Informal Settlements.

DISCONNECTIONS & RECONNECTIONS
   TYPES OF DISCONNECTIONS

There are five basic types of disconnections, the
reconnections being the reversal of the
disconnection process:

Normal Disconnections
Doctored Disconnection.
Hard Disconnections.
Remove all Gear (R.A.G.)
Service Cable Removal Disconnection

DISCONNECTIONS PROCESS

                Billing & Customer
                    Mgt Systems

     Manual                           Pending
      Data                           disconnect
     Capture                          ion Pool

    Telephone
    Feedback                         Overnight
     from the                         Printing
        field

                    Field work
                    Execution

DISCONNECTIONS & RECONNECTIONS

Financial Year   Total No. of   Total No. of   Monthly     Recon:Disc
                 Disconnections Reconnection   Average –   on ratio
                                s              DO`s
  2005/2006        129 432         93 520         10 786      0.72

  2006/2007        123 047         88 486         10 254      0.72

  2007/2008        151 717        114 096         12 643      0.75

  2008/2009        173 621        129 020         14 468      0.74

  2009/2010        207 473        160 428         17 289      0.77

DISCONNECTION CHALLENGES

Challenges                             Resolutions

                                                           Cutting in of
                                                             CDUs
                            T-Joints

       Consumer
        refuses                           Use of GIS to
        access                            locate supply

                           Vacant                               Ascertain owner
                          properties                             contact details

            Level 1                          Request
         Disconnector                     supervisors to
        unable to climb                       do the
             poles                        disconnection

INSTALLATION OF SPLIT PREPAYMENT
METERS

CT DRIVEN METER INSPECTIONS

THE REMOVAL OF ILLEGAL CONNECTION

THE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES

Revenue Protection started pilot project in 2006 to protect meter
kiosks.
Asset protection to ensure minimal energy losses (non-technical).
Protective enclosures over meter kiosks to prevent unauthorised
access and damage.
Enclosure has high security features.
It can be monitored and controlled remotely

THE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES

Meter Room doors were vandalised
Tenants were tampering with units
Loss of revenue

THE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES

Revenue Protection started pilot project in 2006 to protect meter
kiosks.
Asset protection to ensure minimal energy losses (non-technical).
Protective enclosures over meter kiosks to prevent unauthorised
access and damage.
Enclosure has high security features.
It can be monitored and controlled remotely

THE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES
  VARIATIONS

               3 Variations

9 Way/CDU      16 Way         2x 16 Way

THE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES

LV door access - front   HV door access - rear

THE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES
      OUTCOME

 Revenue generation - Consumers pay for electricity

  Assets protected – No tampering/ vandalism

  Improved monitoring

  Increased safety

THE ELECTRIFICATION OF INFORMAL
       SETTLEMENTS

The provision of electricity leads to job creation, and a
subsequent rise in disposable income in a community.

A standard has been developed by Electricity Department to
safely electrify informal settlements.

Most of communities living in the informal settlements have been
without electricity for over 15 years.

Most of these communities are indigent as per Council policy and
should qualify for free basic electricity after the connections have
been made.

THE ELECTRIFICATION OF INFORMAL
       SETTLEMENTS

 The provision of electricity leads to job creation, and a
  subsequent rise in disposable income in a community
 A standard has been developed by Electricity Department
  to safely electrify informal settlements.
 Most of communities living in the informal settlements
  have been without electricity for over 15 years.
   – Most of these communities are indigent as per
     Council policy and should qualify for free basic
     electricity after the connections have been made.

THE ELECTRIFICATION OF INFORMAL
    SETTLEMENTS

The Council resolution was taken to not supply electricity
where there are following issues:

Houses built where there is soil erosion
Houses built on and around the swamp / flood – prone areas
Houses built underneath High Voltage line and around that
servitude
Houses built on road / Spoornet or Rail servitudes
Houses built where there are environmental issues
Houses built on Private land
Houses built where there are any other Health and Safety
hazards

Service pole next to an informal dwelling

Mounting bracket supported on a service
                 pole

Ready board inside an informal dwelling

Example of the project that did not meet the
criteria

Example of the project that did not meet the criteria
Cont…

Example of the Transit Camp project

Example of the Transit Camp project Cont…

Example of the Transit Camp project Cont…

CONCLUSION

Real measurements are never made under perfect conditions.

Flaws in the measurement may be visible or invisible.