2. LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 ENERGY METERS2.1.1 INTRODUCTIONAn electricity meter or energy meter is a device that measures the amount of electrical energy supplied to a specific consumer. This can be done for three-phase or single-phase power. They are used by utility companies to measure billable services. They are usually calibrated in billing units, normally kilowatt hours (kWh). Periodic readings of electricity meters establish billing cycles and the energy used during a cycle.2.1.2 ELECTROMECHANICAL METERSFigure 1.1: Electromechanical meter [4]Prof. an induction wattmeter by Thomson, nicknamed the recording meter, was the precursor to modern electromechanical meters. The electromechanical watt-hour meter has evolved over time and, due to continuous competition, designs have been improved to make more efficient, accurate, compact and economical versions of the meter. Fig 1.2: Parts of an electromechanical meter [4](1 ) - Voltage coil: many turns of thin wire enclosed in plastic, connected in parallel to the load.(2) - Current coil: three turns of thick wire, connected in series to the load.(3) - Stator: concentrates and confines the magnetic field.(4) - Aluminum rotor disc.(5) - Rotor brake magnets.(6) - Spindle with worm gear.(7) - Display dials. [4]The electromechanical induction meter works by counting the number of revolutions made by an aluminum disk which rotates at a speed proportional to the power consumed. This means that the number of revolutions gives the energy consumed. Two coils connected in such a way that one produces a magnetic flux proportional to the voltage (voltage coil) while the other produces a magnetic flux proportional to the current (current coil) act on the metal disk. The...... middle of paper...... Inc., 1999.[2] Steve Heathe, "Integrated Systems Projects", Newnes, 2003.[3] Schmidt, M., "Arduino: A Quick Start Guide", Pragmatic Bookshelf, January 2011.[4] Vinod Vasant Kamte, “Smart Metering”, Newns, October 2002.[5] http://Arduino.cc/en/Main/[6] Therese Andrésen, “Technical and economic aspects of remote data transmission modes for smart metering”, 2009[7] STMicroelectronics, “Smart grid deployment and smart meters ”, November, 2012.[8] Kenneth C. Shuey, “Auxiliary Power Supply for Additional Functions within a Meter,” March 2009[9] Rahul Ganesh Sarangle, Uday Pandit Khot, Jayen Modi, “GSM Based Power Meter Readout and Control System,” International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) vol. 2, number 4, June-July 2012, pp.664-671.[10] Kenya Power, “Kenya Power Prepaid Meter User Guide”.[11] Itead Studio, “Icomsat Manual v1.1”.