Development of a Low-Cost GSM-based Smart Energy Meter for real-time Notifications

Abstract 
To bridge the metering gap in Nigeria, a smart energy meter is developed. The uniqueness of this 
approach is that it focuses more on the consumer in terms of its affordability and its user-friendliness. The 
meter uses microcontroller technology coupled with voltage and current sensors and employs the Global 
System for Mobile communication to transmit measured energy to consumers. It costs N40,590 ($57.9) at 
the prototype stage, and the consumer can receive information on when to recharge the meter before the 
credit is used up remotely from the mobile device without going to the electricity provider. Based on 
information received about the status of the electricity, the consumer can disconnect or reconnect the load 
(load shed) from a remote location using the device switching circuit, operated from the mobile phone as a 
means of energy management.  Voltage and current measurements were performed using the developed 
smart meter and digital multimeter and correlation was computed to validate the developed device. The 
tests showed a correlation of 0.9358 compared with digital multimeter. The uniqueness of this work is that 
it puts into consideration the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) of the consumer in providing 
affordable and user-friendly smart energy meters to large population of unmetered Nigerians. The 
availability of smart meters for the unmetered populace will also help to discourage estimated billing that 
exploits the people thereby making them poorer. 

Keywords: GSM, Real-time, Smart energy meter, Low-cost smart meter