Smart Energy Management and Surveillance Using Internet of Things
Energy supply is constantly becoming unstable, inefficient, and expensive due to the exorbitant cost of imported smart meters, which prevents their widespread use. The design and execution of a low-cost, locally adjustable smart energy monitoring and load control system for residential and small-scale industrial applications are presented in this paper. To provide real-time monitoring and intelligent load control, the system combines an Arduino-based Internet of Things platform with voltage and current sensors, relay modules, and cloud-based visualization. Over the course of 30 days, the prototype was installed in three homes with various load profiles after being calibrated against standard meters. Through a mobile dashboard, the solution effectively reduced wasteful consumption, enhanced user awareness, and automated load prioritization during periods of high demand. The obtained energy reductions are competitive with global standards while maintaining noticeably reduced costs through local hardware sourcing. Although Wi-Fi instability and sporadic resets following power surges were issues, user comments validated the ease of use. The results show that low-cost IoT-based devices can improve energy efficiency, cut expenses.