Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Joint Venture of Public Sector Units under the Ministry of Power, is implementing the world’s largest smart metering exercise.
The exercise titled Smart Meter National Programme (SMNP) will replace 25 crore conventional meters by 2025.
Theodore Paraskevakos invented the smart meter in 1977. India has decided to transition to smart metering to promote energy conservation and reduce DISCOM losses.
This smart metered-enabled infrastructure will improve energy distribution and consumption, increasing DISCOMs’ annual revenues.
EESL has signed smart meter agreements with Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, the New Delhi Municipal Council, Rajasthan, and Telangana, and prepaid meter agreements with Uttar Pradesh and Tripura.
Seeing the success of smart metering under SMNP, several states such as Assam, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat and Karnataka have shown interest in smart metering, and the modalities are being worked out.
Private DISCOMs Are Leading The Charge
Tata Power distributed 7,000 smart meters in Mumbai. As a market leader, Adani Group’s Mumbai-based DISCOM — Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd started installing 700,000 smart meters in 2021.
In Delhi, TATA Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) — DISCOM of North Delhi has completed the installation of 190,000 smart meters for its consumers.
Reliance-owned BSES has floated a tender to replace 5 million conventional energy meters with smart meters in 2022. Eighteen firms have expressed interest in the tender, including Adani Transmission, L&T, Finland’s Wirepas, EDF France, Enel Italy, Bosch Germany, and Itron and Exceleron from the US.
The adoption of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) across India will be a shot in the arm for India’s power sector. It will be a win-win for consumers and DISCOMs.
Advantages Of Smart Meters
1. Unlike the time-consuming and labor-intensive manual inspection and monthly recording of meter readings, smart meters record energy usage in 15/30-minute intervals or at least hourly and transfer data to control centers and user applications continuously.
2. Smart meters allow utility and home/business two-way communication. Consumers and DISCOM can remotely monitor readings online.
3. Smart meters help consumers monitor and regulate energy consumption to save money on power bills.
Smart Meters: Game Changer For DISCOMs
The implementation of smart meters enables improvement in billing and collection efficiency thereby reducing aggregate technical and commercial (ATC) losses of DISCOMs facilitating better financial performance.
The increase in revenue can further help DISCOMs clear their dues to generators on time, as well. Smart meters have far-reaching benefits within the entire power sector.
Till August 2021, 1.57 million smart meters were installed, increasing average DISCOM revenues by 20.5%, approximately Rs. 301 per month per meter.
Aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses fell 11–36%. Smart meters increased billing efficiency by 21% and annual revenue by Rs 2.64 billion for 1.1 million smart meters.
Remarkable Progress
As of April 22, 2022, 42 lakh smart meters have been installed in India under various schemes and initiatives, and the installation of 1.125 crore smart meters is under implementation.
1.19 million Smart meters have been installed under the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), including 476,422 prepaid smart meters.
Under the National Smart Grid Mission program, 110,340 smart meters have been installed, followed by 156,533 smart meters under the Smart Grid pilot program. 2.25 million Smart meters, including 72,305 prepaid meters, have been installed by state utilities.
UDAY was launched in September 2015, and the National Tariff Policy (NTP), amended in January 2016, mandates smart meters for all consumers with over 200 units per month
So far, 10% of the targeted 5.73 million smart meters for consumers over 500 kWh and 11% of the targeted 18.43 million smart meters for consumers between 200 and 500 kWh have been installed.