The Test On Hacking Prepaid Meters
A group of Dutch scientists have been testing out some of today’s “smart” electrical meters to check their accuracy, among other things. Not ones to disappoint, the scientists have found consistently false readings that in some cases are 582% higher than actual energy consumption.
With experiments lasting for six months, the researchers tried to focus on meters representative of those commonly used in the Netherlands and manufactured between 2004 and 2014. Moreover, the researchers tried to reproduce standard household energy consumption patters rather than focusing on stress tests.
Their results? Well, “results varied wildly, with some meters reporting errors way above their disclosed range, going from -32% to +582%. Tests with uncommon results were repeated several times and the results were within a few percents of the original.” Moreover, “The greatest inaccuracies were seen when researchers combined dimmers with energy saving light bulbs and LED bulbs.” Not constrained to energy saving light bulbs, the inaccuracies are, ironically, tied to devices with integrated energy saving features. (Certainly makes us want to keep a close eye on our electric meters.)
Can You Hack A Meter?
Hacked meters can even cause house fires and explosions or even a widespread blackout. Unlike remote servers, smart meters can be relatively easily accessed by attackers, so each smart meter must be quite hackproof and resilient in the field.
How Do I Claim Free Electricity In South Africa?
To claim the benefit, customers should visit their nearest vendor. Alternatively, USSD codes *130*869# or *130*269# are available to already configured customers to claim the benefit via a cell phone at no charge to the customer.
How To Hack Prepaid Electricity Meter In South Africa
One of the tried and true ways to tamper with the meter over the years is to put a magnet on each side to slow it down. The internet is rife with examples, including a step-by-step video.
If you’re criminally minded with a dangerous streak, you may have taken note of people who steal their power directly from transformers. Beware: news reports are filled with stories of those who have died in the pursuit of free power, as well as people who have lived only to be prosecuted. While reporting a power theft story, one local Fox station practically gives a do-it-yourself, like one man did, with jumper cables.
The other ways in which people have been stealing power are endless, from sand in the meters to slow down the wheel to turning the entire meter upside down. The trick is to know when the meter reader is coming to turn it right side up.
Another popular fix is to drill a hole in the bottom of the meter and stick a pin in to stop the wheel all together. But as one “anonymous coward” posted on a web forum, “we did this for over a year until we got caught, then it was the Spanish Inquisition and cost a fortune in penalties, etc.” Lesson learned.
