Considered a torchbearer of power sector-reforms, Gujarat is trailing lesser developed states like Bihar, Assam and Chhattisgarh in installation of smart meters – an initiative meant to improve the operational efficiencies of state-run electricity distribution companies.
Ever since the Smart Metering National Project (SMNP) was launched, Gujarat has installed over 2.19 lakh smart meters which is a little over one percent of 1.64 crore smart meters that have been sanctioned to be installed in the state. Gujarat which has been facing opposition from the general public over smart meter installation has been trailing states like Bihar which has installed over 82.5 percent of the sanctioned installations.
The Government of India had launched the scheme of Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in July 2021 to improve the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of distribution utilities i.e. DISCOMS/ Power Departments, so as to provide quality and reliable supply of power. One of the key initiatives under the scheme was consumer smart metering. Of the total 19.79 crore smart meters sanctioned for installations in the country, about 3.7 percent or 72.97 lakh meters have been installed as on November 29, 2024.
While no smart meters have been installed in 12 states in the country including opposition ruled, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand and Punjabsome of the BJP ruled states like Rajasthan, Goa and Manipur have also not started with the installations as on November 2024, states the data tabled in Rajya Sabha by the Union Government as part of a written reply to a question raised by TMC MP Sushmita Dev.
Assam leads all the states with the highest number of smart meter installations in the country. The state has installed 22.89 lakh smart meters which is 36 percent of the total sanctioned installations. While Bihar stands in second position in smart meter installations, Madhya Pradesh follows in third with over 10.13 lakh installations (8 percent of the total sanctioned meters). Chhattisgarh (5.61 lakh), Andhra Pradesh (3.85 lakh), Maharashtra (3.55 lakh) and Uttar Pradesh (3.79 lakh) also have higher number of smart meter installations when compared to Gujarat.
Faced with public protests in May 2024, Gujarat government had publicly announced that they will not “forcibly” install smart meters in the state replacing the existing old electricity meters. The government took a stance after people complained of being over charged through newly installed smart-meters. When asked about the status of smart meter installations, an official told businsessline that the Gujarat government has limited smart meter installations to new electricity connections and to solar rooftop projects.
In the month of December 2024, Gujarat installed over 40000 smart meters, official sources said. The maximum smart meters installed so far has been by Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited (1.4 lakh), while the least installations (28,200) have been done by Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd, a state discom that distributes electricity in Saurashtra region of the state.
The Union government in its reply in Rajya Sabha stated that the primary advantage of a smart meter is its ability to provide accurate billing information. Smart meters eliminate inaccuracies due to manual reading by automatically recording and communicating the consumption data to the billing system of the distribution utility. As per the Central Electricity Authority (Installation and Operation of Meters) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022, all consumers in areas with communication network, shall be supplied electricity with Smart Meters working in pre-payment mode, conforming to relevant Indian Standards (IS) , the reply added.