IOT Based Automatic Reading & Billing System of Energy Meter

Abstract

India presently has the largest population of blind people in the world. This project describes Microcontroller based design and implementation of energy meter using IOT concept. The propose system design eliminates the human involvement in electricity maintenance. Thee buyer needs to pay for the usage of electricity n schedule, in case that he couldn’t pay, the electricity transmission can be turned off autonomously from the distant server. The user can monitor the energy consumption in units from a web page by providing device IP address. Theft detection unit connected to energy meter will notify company side when meter tampering occurs in energy meter and it will send theft detect information through modem and theft detected will be displayed on the terminal window o the company side. WiFi unit performs the IOT operation by sending energy meter data to web page which can be accessed through IP address. The Hardware interface circuit consists of ATMEGA328 Microcontroller, MAX232, LCD display, ESP8266 WiFi module, GSM Modem. WiFi unit performs the IOT operation by sending energy meter data to web page.

Introduction

Overview

With the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT)—driven by technologies like Wi-Fi, RFID, Bluetooth, and sensors—devices are increasingly interconnected. This growth can help address the global energy crisis by monitoring and controlling power consumption, especially in households.

2. Problem Statement

Traditional electricity metering involves manual meter reading, which is time-consuming and inefficient. A smarter, automated approach is needed using current internet and mobile technologies.

3. Objective

To develop a smart energy meter using IoT that:

• Converts traditional energy meters into smart devices

• Monitors energy consumption remotely

• Generates automatic bills

• Alerts service providers about electricity theft

4. Proposed System Architecture

A. Hardware Module

• NODE MCU (ESP8266): Microcontroller with Wi-Fi

• RTC Module (DS1307): Real-Time Clock for time-stamped data

• LCD Display: Shows real-time energy use

• Opto-coupler: Isolates circuits and detects power usage

• Relay, GSM modem: Additional hardware for control and communication

B. Software Module

• Code for Wi-Fi connectivity

• Logic for monthly unit calculation

C. Web Interface

• Login portal

• Consumer creation and registration

• Automated bill generation

5. Requirements

A. Hardware

• Energy meter, NODE MCU, Opto-coupler, RTC (DS1307), relay, GSM modem, etc.

B. Software

• Arduino IDE for firmware development (C++)

• PHP for backend scripting

• MySQL for database

6. Component Highlights

• NODE MCU: Combines microcontroller and Wi-Fi for IoT integration

• DS1307 RTC: Low-power, battery-backed, real-time clock using I2C

• Opto-coupler: Provides circuit isolation to ensure safety

• PHP: Used for dynamic server-side web development

• MySQL: Manages consumer data and billing records efficiently

7. Benefits

• Automated readings reduce labor and human error

• Real-time monitoring via web browser

• Helps reduce power consumption

• Early theft detection

• Reduces burden on electricity providers

Conclusion

This IoT-based smart energy meter system provides an efficient, automated, and scalable solution to monitor household electricity usage. It empowers consumers with transparency and helps providers detect theft and overuse, addressing energy challenges through technology.

References

[1] Sasanenikita N, “IOT based energy meter billing and monitoring system”, International research journal of advanced engineering and science, (2017). [2] Pandit S, “Smart energy meter using internet of things (IOT)”, VJER vishwakarma Journal of engineering Research, Vol.1, No.2, (2017). [3] Ashna K & George SN, “GSM based automatic energy meter reading system with instant billing”, Proceeding of international multi conference on automation, computing, communication, control and compressed sensing (Imac4S),Vol.65,No.72, (2013), pp.22-23. [4] Sehgal VK, Panda N, Handa NR, Naval S & Goel V, “Electronic Energy Meter with instant billing”, Fourth UKSim European Symposium on Computer Modeling and Simulation (EMS), (2010), pp.27-31. [5] Maitra S, “Embedded Energy Meter-A New concept to measure the energy consumed by a consumer and to pay the bill”, Power system technology and IEEE power india conference, (2008).

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Minar Patil, Prof. Rahul Bhandekar, Prof. Rahul Nawkhare. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.