DISCOMS told to complete installation of smart meters within stipulated time

Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary and Special Chief Secretary (Energy)K. Vijayanand has emphasised the significance of completing 100% feeder and distribution transformer (DT) metering within the stipulated timelines and has directed the DISCOMs to ensure reliable communication and data integration through the Head-End and Meter Data Management System (MDMS).

Addressing a review meeting with the CMDs of DISCOMs L Sivashankar, I. Prudhvi Tej, and P. Pulla Reddy on Saturday on the progress of smart meter installation under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), Mr. Vijayanand called upon the DISCOMs to focus on accelerating the implementation, enhancing field-level efficiency, and strengthening consumer engagement for smart metering.

He instructed the DISCOMs and advanced metering infrastructure service providers to augment manpower deployment and expedite installations, particularly for government, commercial, and high-consumption domestic consumers.

The Chief Secretary said the DISCOMs had installed 17.96 lakh smart meters, covering about 45% of the sanctioned scope, and nearly 96% were communicating successfully, reflecting improved system integration.

He appreciated the DISCOMs for the progress made and urged all stakeholders to sustain the pace to achieve maximum smart meter rollout within the next quarter.

Further, Mr. Vijayanand directed the utilities to scale up prepaid operations across all government departments and to ensure timely arrears clearance and efficient energy usage through the new group wallet mechanism.

He asserted that smart metering was a transformative initiative that would enhance billing efficiency, reduce losses, and empower consumers through transparent and digital energy management, and instructed the DISCOMs to work in coordination with the Power Finance Corporation to ensure smooth fund flow and compliance with RDSS guidelines.

He noted that online monitoring of 11 kV feeders reached 92.65% across all the DISCOMs, with the SPDCL achieving 98.07%, CPDCL 93.88%, and EPDCL 83.53% coverage.

He emphasised that fixing of smart meters for non-communicating or no-modem feeders should be completed by the end of November 2025 to ensure 100% real-time visibility and seamless integration with the government’s Real Time Governance System.