Centre gives 3-year target to replace energy meters

Sources in Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation said that three-year target set by the Centre was impossible to achieve as there was not enough supply in the market.

“Taking electricity to every household has been a major achievement. However, the distribution sector, particularly the DISCOMS, are under financial stress. The ministry intends to promote “smart” metering. I urge all the States and Union Territories to replace conventional energy meters by prepaid smart meters in the next three years. Also, this would give consumers the freedom to choose the supplier and rate as per their requirements,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during her the Budget speech.

To accelerate the smart metering, a scheme has been introduced with the Central funding for supply and installation of smart meter on Pan-India basis. The government plans to convert all electricity meters into smart prepaid meters by 2022. Tangedco sources said that the utility has proposed to install 1.45 lakh smart meters at T Nagar in the city as part of the smart city project. “We will replace all the digital meters with the smart meters in a phased manner,” sources said, adding that however, the target to replace all the conventional meters with the prepaid smart meters in the next three years would be impossible to achieve.

“There are not enough manufacturers in the market to supply smart meters to replace the conventional meters across the country. It can be done in a phased manner. Moreover, it requires huge expenditure for the utilities as well,” Tangedco source noted.