UP to replace existing meters with smart prepaid ones
The Union power ministry has issued a gazette notification laying out a timeline for phased meter replacement
LUCKNOW : Uttar Pradesh is gearing up to meet the challenge of supplanting all the existing energy meters with smart prepaid meters as the Union power ministry has issued a gazette notification laying out a timeline for the phased replacement of all such meters with separate timelines for different categories of consumers.
UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) chairman M Devraj said all efforts would be made to replace the existing meters with smart prepaid ones as per the timeline fixed in the power ministry’s recent notification and necessary steps were being taken in that direction.
“Installation of prepaid meters is a part of the Centre’s new reforms-based and resultslinked, revamped distribution sector scheme and we have been asked to send detailed project report (DPR) to the ministry by December. After the DPR is approved, we will float tenders to purchase prepaid smart meters among other items as per the requirement,” he said. “Already, more than 11 lakh smart prepaid meters are functioning in UP’s various cities,” he added.
As per the gazette notification issued by the Centre on August 17, all consumers (other than agricultural consumers who have been exempted from the requirement of having smart prepaid meters) in areas with communication network ‘shall’ be supplied electricity with smart meters working in prepayment mode.
“All electrical divisions having more than 50% consumers in urban areas with AT&C losses more than 15% in financial year 2019-20, other electrical divisions with AT&C losses more than 25% in financial year 2019-20, all government offices at block level and above, and all industrial and commercial consumers, shall be metered with smart meters with prepayment mode by December 2023,” the notification says.
The State Regulatory Commission may, however, by notification extend the said period of implementation while giving reasons to do so only twice but not more than six months at a time for a class or classes of consumers or for such areas as may be specified in that notification.
“All other areas shall be metered with smart meters with prepayment mode by March 2025 provided that in areas which do not have communication network, installation of prepayment meters may be allowed by the respective State Electricity Regulatory Commission,” says the notification.
Such meters, as per the notification, will also be installed at all distribution transformers and feeders to calculate the difference between the amount of power injected into the transformer and power actually consumed by consumers and then take action accordingly.
“All feeders shall be metered by December 2022 and all distribution transformers in electrical divisions having more than 50% consumers in urban areas with AT&C losses more than 15% in financial year 2019-20, and in all other electrical divisions with AT&C losses more than 25% in financial year 2019-20, shall be metered by December 2023. All distribution transformers in areas shall be metered by March 2025,” the notification further says.
Installation of smart prepaid meters, it is believed, will not only help the UPPCL control electricity theft and get more revenue in a hassle-free manner but also encourage consumers in planning their budget and save electricity.