EESL helps discoms achieve billing efficiency

Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has enabled electricity distribution companies (discoms) to achieve around 95 per cent billing efficiency by using smart meters amid this lockdown, a release from EESL said. smart meters also helped realize a 15-20 per cent average increase in monthly revenue per consumer.

EESL is the designated agency to implement the smart metering programme in India. Under this programme, a total no. of 12,06,435 smart meters have been installed till date, to enhance consumer convenience and rationalise electricity consumption.

States like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, NDMC New Delhi and Bihar have installed around 9.84 lakh, 1.23 lakh, 57,000 and 28,000 smart meters, respectively. Thanks to smart meters, discoms in these states have been able to handle their operations smoothly in the time of crisis.

Bihar is the first state in India to use smart prepaid meters.

EESL is also implementing smart prepaid meters under its smart metering programme. Smart meters deployed by EESL have the capability to switch to prepaid mode with remote button click from IT system.

While the general populace has to adhere to the social distancing norms by the government, electricity distribution companies have not been able to physically collect electricity bills from consumers, leading to dip in the cash flow. However, few discoms are enjoying the perks of using the prepaids smart meters.

Bihar is the first state in India to use smart prepaid meters. Currently, around 25,000 such meters are in use. The consumers on an average are recharging their prepaid smart meters with credit balance of Rs.20 on a daily basis. This has resulted in significant benefit of revenue to discoms. This contrasts the situation with discoms with conventional meters that have not even been able to generate bills.

Smart meters deployed by EESL have the capability to switch to prepaid mode with remote button click from IT system.

Emphasising the benefits of smart meters for the consumers, Saurabh Kumar, MD, EESL said, “Smart meters have been indispensable during the current situation, helping discoms function smoothly, thanks to their ability to remotely monitor and collect meter readings. They are the foundation stone of building the power sector of the future. AMI is a significant step towards enabling power sector reforms in India, while enhancing consumer convenience, satisfaction and rationalisation of electricity consumption at the same time.”

Smart meters are part of the overall Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solution that measures and records consumers’ electricity use and sends this data to energy suppliers through GPRS technology.

Smart meters are part of the overall Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solution that measures and records consumers’ electricity use at different times of the day and sends this information to the energy supplier through GPRS technology. This gives consumers better access to information and allows them to make more informed decisions on the use of electricity in their homes, leading to reduced power wastage, and long-term carbon and financial savings. It also improves the discom’s operational performance by increasing billing efficiency, reducing O&M cost and enhancing the quality of service by providing consumers with Demand Side Management (DSM) options.

Additionally, smart meters have benefits such as the ability to remote connect/disconnect as per the state utility guidelines and allowing consumers to digitally pay the bills, also helped maintain business continuity and continued unhindered operations.

(Featured photograph is for illustration only. Smaller photograph shows a smart meter supplied by EESL for a power distribution utility in Haryana.)