Expect cheaper electricity bills, prepaid option with new smart meters

HYDERABAD:  Soon consumers in Greater Hyderabad limits will be able to get accurate power bills, view real-time energy usage, and even be able to pay electricity bills in advance as the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) is planning to install smart meters in the city. 

Smart meters can digitally send meter readings to the energy supplier for more accurate energy bills. These meters are of two types — prepaid and post-paid — and customers can switch to anyone without changing their meter.

According to TSSPDCL, these meters would be deployed under the Centre’s Atal Distribution System Improvement Yojana (ADITYA) scheme and State is waiting for the Central government’s nod before installing them over its jurisdiction.

Speaking to Express, T Srinivas, Director (Projects), TSSPDCL, said that smart meters will help consumers to know the real-time usage, bill amount and also reduce the consumption as per one’s affordability to avoid excess billing and disconnection. This will put an end to electricity department staffers visiting door-to-door for spot billing and asking consumers to clear dues, he said.

“A pilot project on smart meters was taken up in Jeedimetla with 8,000 meters that was successful. We have also deployed 10,000 pre-paid smart meters in



government offices in the State and they are functioning well,” he said.

With the prepaid meter, consumers can pay for the electricity before use it, through various methods such as bill counters and online payment methods — T-Wallet, UPIs and at the TSSPDCL web portal. These meters will operate based on the amount available in the meters and if there is no balance, the electricity will be  automatically disconnected. This system is advantage for electricity distribution company as they would record all payments in advance and there would be no dues from the consumers.

There are around 25,000 electricity connections in the Greater Hyderabad limits and there are always issues such as high power bills and non-payment of bills, resulting in more dues. These smart meters would be a win-win situation for the consumer and power company too, officials added.

New meters will provide more accurate readings

Smart meters can digitally send meter readings to the energy supplier for more accurate energy bills. These meters are of two types — prepaid and post-paid — and customers can switch to anyone without changing the meter. They are expected to reduce power wastage.