Soon, smart meters for 4L consumers in trans-Hindon

GHAZIABAD: With 70% of the survey completed by the Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), Vasundhara, Vaishali, and Kaushambi in the trans-Hindon areas will soon receive prepaid smart electricity meters under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), an official said on Tuesday.

The trans-Hindon area has 4.2 lakh consumers, including 56,000 commercial consumers.

“The power department began the survey in high-revenue areas with delayed bill payments,” said the official.

PVVNL, which provides electricity in Ghaziabad, will install 6.7 million prepaid smart meters in 14 districts of West Uttar Pradesh by 2026. Installation will start in Zone-3's Electricity Distribution Section-2, followed by zones 1 and 2.

“The meters will offer conveniences such as online bill recharge like mobile phones. The cost of electricity from smart meters will be available on a mobile app, with notifications sent via SMS,” explained Ajay Ojha, chief engineer of Zone 3, PVVNL.

Currently, all district consumers use conventional meters, with meter readers generating bills through an app based on readings for connections ranging from one to four kilowatts.

Ojha added, “The old system has led to numerous instances of underreported usage, resulting in inflated bills the following month and illicit demands for bribes to correct them.” In the second phase, smart meters will be installed in Indirapuram and Mohannagar.

The power department is also seeking land to build an online control room.

The entire district, divided into three zones, will switch to smart meters within 27 months, with completion expected before 2026.

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