The central government is providing funding to states to install smart meters under National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) and the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS). Till now, around 37.33 lakh smart meters were hinstalled across the iStates, Power Minister R K Singh said on Thursday.

“Till date, approximately 37.33 lakh smart meters have been reported to have been installed in various states under the aforesaid schemes of Government of India and the aforesaid projects of the DISCOMs,” Singh said in a written response to a query in Lok Sabha.

Smart meters are being installed under various schemes of the Centre and the States. The Government is providing funding to the states for implementation of smart metering under NSGM and IPDS, Singh, who is also the Minister of New & Renewable Energy, added.

State-run EESL is also implementing smart metering projects being launched by the Discoms at their own independent initiative in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, A&N Islands, Delhi, etc. on Opex basis wherein EESL is making the initial capital expenditure and Discoms are paying back to EESL on monthly rental basis, Singh said.

Smart prepaid meters

Besides, the Centre has launched the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) on July 20, 2021 under which deployment of around 25 crore smart prepaid meters for all domestic consumers have been envisaged till March 2025.

The RDSS expects smart metering on the Opex mode and provides financial support to Discoms opting for prepaid smart metering. Under the scheme, in “other than Special Category States’‘, 15 per cent (22.5 per cent in case of Special Category States) of the cost per meter worked out over the whole project period, subject to a maximum of ₹900 ( ₹1,350 in case of Special Category States) per metre in case of consumer metres, will be funded.

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