New Delhi: Union Power Minister R K Singh on Monday urged electricity consumers to use smart prepaid meters, saying that the device helps users bring down power costs by up to two percent. Installation of smart prepaid meters reduces the operational and finance cost for electricity suppliers as consumers credit their account in advance, the minister said while releasing the 'Enabling a consumer-centric smart metering transition in India' report.

Using smart prepaid meters will help electricity cost to come down by 2-2.5%

"If you have a smart prepaid meter, your cost of electricity will come down by 2-2.5 percent and the consumer gains (at benefit)," Singh said.
Usage of smart meters will lead to digitisation of systems, automation and further efficiencies. It will help in energy accounting, which helps in identifying the areas which need attention. "Energy accounting system is another challenge which we are still tackling," he said.

Survey results

According to the findings of the report released, the users of smart prepaid meters are having better experiences compared to conventional post-paid metering systems of billing. While 92 percent surveyed consumers reported a smooth installation experience, 50 percent reported improvements in their bills.

Around 63 percent of the respondents said that they would recommend smart prepaid meters to other consumers, as per the survey conducted by CEEW with the support of MacArthur Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Over 4,500 people across 18 districts of six states were surveyed.

Around 44 percent could not access detailed bills of their electricity usage.
Jitendra K Agarwal, Joint MD of smart metering firm Genus Power said, "These new-age smart meters help reduce the operation and maintenance cost and enhance the quality of service. Metering is an important infrastructure for the country. Smart prepaid meters maintain accuracy in the billing of electricity usage."

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