How Edson Enterprises Uncovered ₹3.2 Lakh Annual Diesel Theft
with Real-Time Monitoring
A manufacturing facility detected and stopped systematic fuel pilferage within 90 days of installing Uptime Linked's energy monitoring system
The Hidden Cost of Fuel Theft in Indian Manufacturing
A widespread problem that costs businesses millions annually
Fuel theft significantly increases operational costs for businesses relying on diesel generators
Even small-scale theft adds up quickly at current fuel prices in the Delhi NCR region
Manual fuel extraction during off-hours or from poorly secured generator tanks
The Reality of DG Set Fuel Pilferage
Fuel theft and pilferage are major concerns for power generation businesses across India. Common scenarios include employees taking fuel for personal use, fake diesel bills inflating costs, and systematic siphoning during off-hours. Without real-time monitoring, businesses often discover these losses months later—if at all.
According to industry reports, high DG power costs of ₹25-40 per unit can be attributed to pilferage and high fuel transportation costs, making real-time monitoring essential for cost control.
The Challenge
Edson Enterprises is a mid-sized manufacturing facility with 15 machines running production. Like many Indian manufacturers, they maintained multiple power sources to ensure uninterrupted operations:
- Primary grid electricity from their utility provider
- Backup diesel generators (DG sets) for power outages
- Solar electricity system for sustainable energy
The directors faced a puzzling situation: their diesel inventory was depleting rapidly, requiring frequent refills, yet they had no concrete data on generator usage. With diesel prices at ₹87.67 per liter in the NCR region, these refills represented a significant operational expense—but something didn't add up.
The Solution: Real-Time Multi-Source Monitoring
What We Installed
- Energy monitoring devices on utility electricity mains
- Sensors on diesel generator power output
- Solar system performance trackers
- Real-time data dashboard with 20-second refresh
What They Could Track
- Exact power generation from each source in real-time
- Duration and frequency of generator operation
- Which source was active at any given moment
- Historical data with exportable reports
Real-time monitoring: Track utility, DG, and solar power generation with 20-second refresh rates
The Discovery: Data Reveals the Truth
The Pivotal Moment
Three months after installation, when workers requested another diesel refill for the generator, the directors decided to check the data before approving the expense.
What they discovered was shocking: the diesel generator had operated for less than 2 hours total in the past 3 months.
The Math That Exposed the Theft:
The Investigation
Armed with irrefutable data from Uptime Linked's monitoring system, the directors confronted the situation systematically:
- 1Data Review
Pulled comprehensive 3-month reports showing exact generator runtime and power output
- 2Cross-Reference
Compared diesel purchase records against actual usage patterns
- 3Pattern Analysis
Identified that grid power and solar had maintained consistent supply, negating need for DG
- 4Confrontation
Presented workers with undeniable evidence of the discrepancy
Result: The systematic diesel pilferage was stopped immediately. The data-driven approach left no room for dispute or excuses.
The Impact: Quantified Savings
Financial Impact Breakdown
Time to ROI
The theft detection in Month 3 meant the system had already paid for itself multiple times over through prevented losses alone—not counting energy optimization benefits.
Beyond Financial Savings
- Restored trust and accountability in operations
- Established data-driven decision making culture
- Prevented future theft through visible monitoring
- Gained complete energy source visibility
For a facility with 15 machines, this represents significant cost recovery. This doesn't include additional savings from energy optimization, production efficiency improvements, and other benefits of the monitoring system—making the actual ROI even more substantial.
We installed Uptime Linked primarily to monitor our energy consumption across our 15-machine facility and optimize costs. We never imagined it would help us uncover systematic theft that had been happening right under our noses. The data was irrefutable—the generator logs showed less than 2 hours of runtime over 3 months, yet approximately 900 liters of diesel had been consumed during that period. The system paid for itself within the first quarter just from catching this theft alone.
Key Takeaways for Manufacturing Facilities
Visibility Prevents Loss
Real-time monitoring creates transparency that deters theft and reveals inefficiencies you didn't know existed.
Data is Irrefutable
Hard numbers from automated systems provide clear evidence for investigations and decision-making.
Prevention is Profit
The ROI of monitoring systems often comes from unexpected savings like theft prevention, not just energy optimization.
Multi-Source Monitoring is Essential
Track all energy sources (utility, DG, solar) to understand true consumption patterns and identify discrepancies.
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