Complete installation of smart meters priority: JERC to Chandigarh
Under the Smart Grid project, approved by the National Smart Grid Mission, the Chandigarh administration had planned to install smart electricity meters across the city as part of power sector reforms; but the project was called off by ministry of home affairs
While rejecting UT administration’s proposal to increase the power tariff by 10% for 2023-24, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has also directed the electricity wing of UT engineering department to expedite the installation of smart electricity meters on priority.
Under the Smart Grid project, approved by the National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM), the UT administration had planned to install smart electricity meters across the city as part of power sector reforms. Since 2018, UT has already installed 24,000 smart power meters at a cost of ₹28 crore.
However, in November 2022, the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) had dropped the project for the rest of the city in the wake of the UT power department’s privatisation, which is in advanced stages.
In a recent submission to JERC, the electricity wing of the engineering department had apprised the commission of this development and submitted that they were exploring other possibilities for installation of smart meters in the remaining areas of Chandigarh.
However, JERC, in its March 31 order, directed the electricity wing to ensure that the project is completed on priority.
Feature-packed meters
The smart meters are aimed at eliminating tampering of electricity meters, besides keeping a track of load, voltage, outages, peak demand, power consumption, and tripping of power lines, making the system beneficial for both the electricity department and consumers.
In another benefit for residents, the smart meters would have allowed advance payment of bills, based on expected consumption.
In the first phase of the Smart Grid project, in October 2018, the electricity department had allotted the work for installing smart meters in Sectors 29, 31, 47 and 48, and seven villages — Faidan, Ram Darbar, Hallomajra, Raipur Kalan, Behlana, Makhanmajra and Daria — and the Industrial Area, where 24,000 meters have already been installed.
The MHA had even approved ₹241 crore to take the project further, before it scrapped it.
A senior officer of the UT electricity department said, “We are working on other possibilities to complete the installation of smart meters. We are hopeful of resuming the work soon.”
