# Electricity Losses in Focus: Detection and Reduction Strategies--State of the Art
## 4 Methods to Reduce Energy Losses
### Non-Technical Energy Losses  
Non-technical energy losses constitute a significant concern within the domain of power quality and stability. Due to the complexity inherent in estimating and calculating these losses, this category remains a subject of ongoing research to achieve the overarching objective of reducing them. A substantial amount of literature exists on the process of identifying and reducing non-technical energy losses. As illustrated in Figure 12, the primary non-technical energy loss reduction methods are presented in a diagram. This diagram integrates and analyzes the methods that have demonstrated the most favorable success rates and efficiency. The implementation of smart meters ranks first and can reduce losses by up to 18%, followed by the implementation of strict fraud policies with an improvement of 17%. The rankings also encompass methods for detecting energy anomalies at the consumer level, which can yield an improvement of up to 15%, followed by regular inspection and audit with a 13% improvement. The least efficacious of these measures is the implementation of organized consumer education campaigns, which can generate an improvement of up to 6%. The graph was developed using data from ANRE's re-regulation in the national energy sector. Figure 11: Ranking of countries with most publications on energy loss reduction. Figure 12: The main methods to reduce non-technical energy losses. A preliminary analysis was conducted by [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] in [69] with the objective of minimizing non-technical energy losses by implementing a method primarily focused on the detection and inspection of the behavior of connected customers to identify potential irregularities in the load curve. To this end, an inspection methodology was developed. This methodology was based on a complementary time ANN, combined with a data extraction and processing module using a classification and regression tree. The results obtained following the implementation of this methodology underscore an enhanced efficiency in the reduction in non-technical losses through detection. In a similar vein, [70] explored the mitigation of losses stemming from reading errors, measurement errors, fraudulent activities, and the inadequate management of systems designed for erroneous data collection. The investigation encompassed the installation of smart anti-break-in systems, which are remotely controlled, and the implementation of protections for the conductors to ensure their security and untouchability in the event of illegal connections. These solutions are straightforward to implement and offer economic advantages. Furthermore, a control and monitoring software for these smart meters has been developed. This software possesses the capability to automatically process and generate the billing part based on the smart meter readings. Accordingly, it eliminates potential billing errors based on incomplete measurements. Considering the elimination of measurement errors, the authors [PERSON], [PERSON], and their associates have developed a methodology in [71] with the objective of reducing non-technical losses. Their approach is focused on achieving precise measurement of energy consumption at the individual user level. The continuous development of sensors and technical equipment to realize metering suggests that this service can be improved. The study conducted by the researchers investigated a solution to reduce losses by optimally identifying errors due to metering and eliminating discrepancies with field situations. The proposed mathematical model has been evaluated based on a specialized algorithm for the measurement component, and the results demonstrate an enhancement of the TOC by a percentage value of 4%. Another approach to reducing non-technical losses in electrical distribution networks is presented in [72], where both commercial and financial reliability are addressed. The overarching objective of the study is to meet electricity demand by reducing energy loss.