Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved the proposal of UP Power Corporation Limited to roll out the plan for installation of smart meters.

The power regulator, however, has, as per the National Tariff Policy 2016, imposed certain conditions on the power utility in the interest of consumers.

The UPPCL had submitted the roll-out plan for the smart meters to the power regulator on August 6. In the plan, UPPCL submitted that installation of smart meter was an activity under Ujwal Discoms Assurance Yojana (UDAY) to which the power utility was a signatory.

UPSERC secretary Sanjay Srivastava said here on Friday that the power regulator scrutinised the proposal and found that with the installation of smart meter, the AT&C losses would reduce and billing efficiency would improve. He said the smart meter also had the facility of remote disconnection of the supply of defaulter consumers having dues.

Most importantly, he said, the consumer would be benefited as the meter reading and billing would be automated and they would not be required to run from pillar to post.

The highlight of the plan is that the consumer will not bear the burden of the cost of the smart meter.

The power regulator, while approving the roll-out plan, has put some conditions on UPPCL/discoms like — the smart meters should conform to standards set by the Central Electricity Authority, the privacy of personal data of consumer shall be protected and the billing efficiency with smart meter consumers shall be not less than 98 per cent. The UPPCL, in its roll out plan, has proposed improved billing efficiency of about 85 per cent. 

The power regulator has also stated that the bill collection efficiency shall not be less than 95 per cent