Bombay Suburban Electric Supply (BSES) Rajdhani Power Limited and BSES Yamuna Power Limited have planned to install 5 million smart meters in NCR, having a capital outlay of Rs 4,000 crore.
Officials told the media that the BSES distribution companies (discoms) released tender documents inviting applications to supply 5 million smart meters. Around 5 million smart meters will be deployed in a single location utility anywhere in the country, including any metro city. The top five states with smart meters are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana and Assam. These 5 million meters are expected to install in the next 2-3 years. BSES has also planned to roll out smart applications, which will be state-of-the-art technology, digital and futuristic, maximising benefits for all stakeholders. The promotion and adoption of smart meters is an initiative of the government under its various schemes to reform and efficiency the power sector. The government will fund the states to implement smart metering under the National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) and the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS). Minister of Power, R K Singh, informed the parliament that the government has been providing financial assistance under various schemes for installing smart meters. He added that states and union territories (UTs) would be provided incentives for installing prepaid smart meters by December 2023. Singh said that an incentive of 7.5% of the cost per consumer meter worked out for the entire project, or Rs 450 per consumer meter, would be provided for other than the Special Category States for installing prepaid smart meters by December 2023. He added that the incentive for special category status would be at 11.25 % of the cost per consumer meter worked out for the entire project, Rs 675 per consumer meter. For successfully executing this scheme, Northeast states, including Sikkim and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep will be under the Special Category States or UTs. Image Source