EESL in talks with states for supply of 10 mn smart meters
State-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) is in talks to supply 10 million smart meters to the governments of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Rajasthan, among others, a top official at the state-run company said, in what would be the biggest such order in the country.
The number also includes additional smart meters for Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, areas where EESL had previously supplied smart meters to help check thefts, said Saurabh Kumar, executive vice chairperson, EESL Group.
India is rolling out the world’s largest electricity smart metering programme. This has attracted organizations such as Canada’s largest pension fund manager Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). On Saturday, EESL signed agreements with South Bihar Power Distribution Co. Ltd and North Bihar Power Distribution Co. Ltd to install a total of 2.34 million smart prepaid meters in Bihar.
A smart meter architecture minimizes human intervention in the metering, billing and collection process, and helps reduce theft by identifying loss pockets.
