Smart meters (SMs) are key components of the smart grid (SG) which gather electricity usage data from residences and businesses. Home area networks (HANs) are used to support two-way communications between SMs and devices within a building such as appliances. This can be implemented using power line communications (PLCs) via home wiring topologies. In this paper, a bottom-up approach is designed and a HAN-PLC channel model is obtained for a split-phase power system which includes branch circuits, an electric panel with circuit breakers and bars, a secondary transformer and the wiring of neighboring residences. A cell division (CD) method is proposed to construct the channel model. Furthermore, arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) and ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) circuit breaker models are developed. Several HAN-PLC channels are presented and compared with those obtained using existing models.Energies 2018, 11, 3344 2 of 20 (RTP) allows appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and dryers to be operated during off-peak times when prices are low [8]. This can also be used to reduce HVAC and water heater costs. Energy theft prevention is another function of SMs. With advanced theft detection and encryption algorithms, SMs can detect and report, as well as prevent illegal electricity usage [9]. Appliance monitoring can also be provided by regularly checking and reporting the status of appliances. Power suppliers can also benefit from SMs as meter data can be obtained remotely which is more cost efficient than manual reading. Power line communications (PLC) can be employed for SM services via a home area network (HAN) [10]. Since the power distribution system was not originally designed for communication purposes, the modeling of power lines as communication channels is critical to the design and analysis of HAN PLC.