Kerala not requires prepaid electric meters, KSEB informs Centre

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has made it clear that the recommendation in the union budget to replace all electricity meters with prepaid smart meters within three years. KSEB chairman N S Pillai informed union minister Anand Singh that almost all consumers in Kerala pay their bills and installing prepaid meter for huge expense is useless.

The new meter is useful for only those north Indian states where consumers default on bill payment. In Kerala, meters are installed for every connection and all of them pay bills too. Prepaid smart meter costs upto Rs 9000-10,000 for one device. The Centre provides only Rs 2000 as subsidy. The state has to find rest of the amount. The consumers cannot be compelled to bear the expense, the KSEB chairman said.

Earlier, the Centre was willing to provide subsidy for 3.23 lakh meters when it was implemented in Kerala on a trial basis. The subsidy rate was Rs 1500-2000. The state came to know that the actual price of meter is Rs 9000 only when tenders were invited.

The board will have to spend Rs 7000 for each meter and this requires Rs 226.8 crore in total. The board had first decided to implement the new technology and also invited tenders thrice to install prepaid meters on a trial basis. Only L and T company took part in the tender.

Benefits

• The KSEB staff need not go for door-to-door visit for meter reading. Instead they can do it from section office.
• Smart meter is a ‘time of the day meter’ which increase power charge during peak hours. this will help consumers to control power usage.
• Nobody can default on bill payment.

Drawbacks

• Installing new meter will cause huge expense.
• Device is unnecessary at places where all consumers pay bills properly.
• If usage exceeds prepaid amount, power supply will be cut.
• Meter readers will lose their jobs.
• Rs 11,250 crore is required for installing prepaid meters for 1.25 crore power connections in Kerala.