In the ongoing effort to protect revenue, every electric distribution company (discom) strives to ensure that meters are secure from tampering. In today’s era of smart meters and digitisation, the stakes have become even higher. The security of electricity meters now requires more attention than ever, as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), prepaid systems, and smart meters result in fewer in-person visits to consumer premises. With reduced physical oversight, a higher level of security is necessary to deter tampering effectively.

Professional manufacturers now offer new-generation meter security seals, designed to provide the elevated security needed to protect electricity meters and, ultimately, prevent revenue loss.

We live in a world where the importance of security is well understood. For example, we update our mobile phone’s security features regularly. We also hire professional security services to guard our homes, offices, factories and warehouses. Yet, when it comes to meter security seals, we often overlook the need for timely upgrades. I have frequently encountered discoms that continue to use out-dated security seals, despite knowing that more secure options are available. This inertia persists in both government and private utilities.

The success of utility meter protection is not simply a matter of choosing the right seal; it requires effective implementation, regular maintenance, and timely upgrades. This process demands attention to detail at every stage—from selection and adoption to standardisation, procurement, application, record-keeping, vigilance, and even disposal. Many utilities dismiss meter seals as ineffective and treat them as merely a statutory requirement imposed by regulatory authorities. However, if the entire sealing process is handled with care, meter security seals can be a powerful tool to combat tampering.

• Critical security item: Meter security seals are crucial for preventing significant revenue loss for electricity distribution companies, directly impacting their balance sheets.

• Security and confidentiality: Specifications of these seals must remain confidential, yet this practice is often neglected.

• Small but significant: Although meter security seals represent a negligible percentage of a utility’s annual procurement cost, their role in revenue protection is paramount.

• Robust and tamper-proof: The seal must be robust, fool proof, and inaccessible to counterfeiters.

• Secrecy in specifications: Specifications should be carefully managed. Unfortunately, details about the seal—such as shape, type, design, and serial numbers—are often clearly stated in tender documents, offering a roadmap for counterfeiters.

• Uniqueness is essential: The design of meter security seals must be unique, ensuring they are not easily available in the market. Frequent changes to the seal’s design play into the hands of counterfeiters.

• Widespread vulnerability: More than 70% of meter seals in use today follow common specifications, making them easy targets for tampering and duplication.

In the smart meter era, the importance of upgrading seals cannot be overstated. Seals must now feature a 2D data matrix barcode, laser-engraved on a white background, allowing for easy reading via smartphone or barcode scanner. Under no circumstances should a barcode sticker be applied, as this compromises the seal’s transparency and opens the door for tampering.

• Accurate and reliable identification: Barcoded seals minimise errors in data reading, ensuring accurate identification.

• Quick and easy scanning: Barcodes can be quickly scanned with smartphones or barcode scanners, streamlining the verification process.

• Lifetime traceability: Barcoded serial numbers offer lifetime traceability, even in harsh environments.

• Improved record-keeping: Linking barcoded seals to advanced software improves record management and system integration.

• Security and financial benefits: Barcoded seals offer significant protection against revenue loss from duplicate or fake seals.

• Reduced investigation costs: Efficient identification helps lower the costs associated with investigating tampering.

Electric utilities often report instances of pre-tampered seals being used to facilitate power theft. Traditional push-type anchor polycarbonate meter seals are vulnerable to pre-tampering—where the seal’s anchors are pressed or filed before installation, allowing the meter to be tampered with undetected later. These pre-tampered seals appear to be intact but can be easily opened and re-sealed without any visible trace of tampering.

To address this issue, we designed the RevGuard polycarbonate security seal, featuring an 8-arm locking mechanism. The seal’s male and female parts are pre-locked at the factory, preventing access to the anchors and making pre-tampering impossible. The seal undergoes additional locking during installation, providing four stages of protection. Once sealed, it cannot be opened without breaking, offering the highest level of security for meter protection.

It is time to standardise the use of unique, high-security seals for utility meters. Cheap, mass-produced seals from unscrupulous manufacturers may seem like a cost-saving measure, but they come at a heavy price: revenue loss. Quality meter security seals, designed and manufactured by reputable firms, represent an investment in long-term revenue protection.

In today’s digital era, meter security seals equipped with 2D barcodes or QR-coded serial numbers are essential for accurate meter reading and verification. These seals act as 24/7 security guards for your meters, safeguarding your revenue.

-------------------------------------

Rajesh Kumar Banka is the Managing Director of Safcon Seals Private Limited. With over 25 years of experience in the security seal business, he is a pioneer in the development of tamper-evident polycarbonate meter security seals. He holds multiple patents for his innovative security seal designs. He can be reached at rajesh@safcon.co.in.