Days are not far away when electricity bills reaching homes will be converted into smart billing system. The current system of sending electric bills at home will be revolutionised in the next three years.
“In next three years metering will go smart prepaid, and gone will be the days of bills reaching your house. So need of the hour is to scale up manufacturing of smart prepaid meters and to bring down their prices.” an official release reported citing R K Singh, Minister of State(IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy.
Talking to smart meter manufacturers, the minister also said that there is a need to increase the manufacturing of these meters as within few years there will be huge demand for them. The smart prepaid meters should be made compulsory after a particular date, the minister also advised the officials of the power ministry.
The government plan to introduce smart meters in the country will not only modernize the power sector but also reduce AT&C losses, ensure better health of DISCOMs, incentivise energy conservation and ease bill payments and also generate skilled employment for the youth, the minister said.
During the meeting, it was decided that the technical aspects will be further calculated after consultation with meter manufacturers, DISCOMs and system integrators.
Meanwhile, the government announced Rs 1.4 lakh crore KUSUM scheme to promote the use of solar power among farmers. The scheme will be implemented from next month. According to the government, 4 crore families targeted under the SAUBHAGYA scheme would get electricity connections by December, ahead of the March 2019 deadline.
“The KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyan) will be implemented in July. Under this scheme farmers would be provided with solar water pumps,” the minister of power and new & renewable energy said at a press conference. Under the scheme, the government has planned to provide 27.5 lakh solar pumps (17.50 lakh standalone + 10 Lakh Grid-connected).
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