Implementation of a MQTT-Based Smart Metering System for Electricity Consumption Tracking in University Hostels in Sokoto State

Unmetered or inadequately metered electricity consumption in university hostels in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria, results in high wastage, billing disputes, and financial losses for host institutions. This project implemented a MQTT-based smart metering system for per-room electricity consumption tracking in a university hostel block at Usmanu Danfodiyo University. A PZEM-004T energy meter module was interfaced with an ESP8266 microcontroller per room, measuring voltage, current, active power, energy (kWh), frequency, and power factor at 10-second intervals. Readings were published to a Mosquitto MQTT broker hosted on a Raspberry Pi server. A Node-RED dashboard on the Raspberry Pi displayed real-time and cumulative consumption per room, with threshold-based alerts emailed to the hostel administrator. The system was piloted in a 20-room wing over 30 days. Energy reading accuracy was within plus or minus 1 percent compared to a calibrated reference energy analyser. Real-time dashboard update latency was below 2 seconds. Daily consumption reports were automatically generated and stored as CSV files. The system correctly flagged 11 of 12 instances where a room's consumption exceeded the 5 kWh daily alert threshold during the pilot. Per-room WiFi connectivity reliability was 97.4 percent. Total hardware cost per room was 8,200 naira. The study recommends pre-payment top-up functionality using a mobile money API to enable revenue recovery from hostel occupants at institutions where utility charges are separately billed.

Keywords: smart metering, MQTT, energy monitoring, university hostel, Sokoto State