Patent ID: 8818742

Claim:
A method for detecting theft and status of electrical power, the method comprising: monitoring, by one or more sensors, a switch state of a main circuit breaker; monitoring, by a voltage monitoring circuit, a load-side voltage; monitoring, by a current monitoring circuit, a load current; detecting, by a controller, the theft and status of electrical power, wherein the theft and status of electrical power includes the theft of electrical power, a load disconnected status, a normal operation status, and a power outage status, and the theft and status of electrical power is detected based at least in part on occurrence of the following events: the theft of electrical power is detected based on occurrence of the following events: the switch state of the main circuit breaker is open, and the load-side voltage is above a predetermined threshold; the load disconnected status is detected on occurrence of the following events: the switch state of the main circuit breaker is open, and the load-side voltage is below a predetermined threshold; or the switch state of the main circuit breaker is closed, the load-side voltage is above the predetermined threshold, and the load current is less than a predetermined amount; the normal operation status is detected based on occurrence of the following events: the switch state of the main circuit breaker is closed, the load-side voltage is above the predetermined threshold, and the load current is above the predetermined amount; the power outage status is detected based on occurrence of the following events: the switch state of the main circuit breaker is closed, and the load-side voltage is below the predetermined threshold; and transmitting, by an alerting module, information representing the detection of the theft and status of electrical power.