News Analysis India

Tag: Smart Prepaid meters

  • After achieving 100% electrification, Bihar replaces old reading meters with smart prepaid ones 

    Express News Service
    PATNA: With the state meeting the records of all time high demand of 6627 MW power recently, the government has started replacing old eletric meters with Smart Prepaid meters. 

    As on June 1st, the state electricity department has installed a record number of 1,47,582 Smart Prepaid Meters as one June 1. CMD –cum-secretary of Bihar State Power Holding Companies, Sanjeev Hans said that a target  has been  fixed to install 23,50,000 Smart Prepaid Meters across the state. “Of the fixed target, 1, 47,583 mart Prepaid Meters have been installed and the remaining 22, 02,418 meters will be installed by December 2022 ,” he  said.

    He said that since the state has achieved 100% electrification, the concerned department has taken up this task to replace all meters by the Smart Prepaid Meters on a war-footing in order to make the consumers sufficient to check and balance the consumption of power in their households or any establishments.

    Besides this, the department is also working to provide power connections to 2.7 lakh farmers for agriculture purposes.

    Hans further added that 76000 smart prepaid meters have already been installed in Patna out of 5.2 lakhs households in Patna to be covered till July 2022. “With the of installation Smart Prepaid Meters, problems like inflated bills and other billing problems would be sorted out.” He said that CM Nitish Kumar has already assured that no fund crunch for installation of prepaid meters would be faced by the department.

    Government-owned Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has signed an agreement with Bihar state power department for installation of smart prepaid meters.

  • Bihar’s motivating journey from power-starved to energy sufficient state

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar has travelled a long way from once being an ‘electricity-starved’ state. It is now the first Indian state to have installed 1 lakh Smart Prepaid meters.

    The per capital consumption of electricity in Bihar from 145 units in 2012-13 has now increased three times to more than 400 units under the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. Works completed in power distribution, modernisation and checking power pilferage through constant efforts by department officials have made the state power-sufficient and the number of consumers reaching a record of 1.62 crores.

    According to CMD-cum-Secretary of energy department Sanjeev Hans, the consumption of electricity has doubled in the last seven years enabling the department to start installation of Smart Prepaid meters on a wider scale. Under the Nitish Kumar government, power minister Bijindera Yadav and his officials have continuously worked for making the state having ample power availability and uninterrupted distribution.

    “The target is to install more than 23.4 lakhs Smart Prepaid meters in the state buoyed over the rapid strides made in power by the state”, Hans said. As per official data, Bihar had only 55 lakhs consumers till 2018 but now, the number of consumers is around 1.62 crore. Among total consumers, the ratio of domestic consumers is highest around 80% with no more difference registered in consumption of power even during COVID-19 induced lockdown times. Till 2005, the power consumption in the state was 700 megawatt, which gradually increased to 1712 till 2012, 4535 to 2017-18, 5932 mega watt to 2020-21.

    The state government is purchasing 1900 megawatt power to ensure uninterrupted power to the state. Patna consumes highest around 700 megawatts of power followed by other cities. Hans said that works are being done on many power and sub-power grids besides replacing old wires and burnt transformers.