Smart Meters in Rajasthan: 3.72 Lakh Meters Planned, Only 56,769 Installed by February

Amid consumer concerns about the transparency and accuracy of hybrid electricity meters being replaced by smart meters in Rajasthan, 15 per cent of meters have been replaced in Jalore district so far. In the district, smart meters are to be installed as part of the upgrade for 372,000 consumers. Of these, 56,769 meters had been installed by the end of February.

Discom officials claim that the new meters are accurate and more transparent. In an effort to address consumer doubts, initial testing of these new meters at various government buildings and residences has revealed these facts.

A key feature of these meters is that readings will still be available even if the meter's display is damaged. Consumers will also be able to view meter readings and consumption on their mobile phones.

The Smart New Meter

Consumers can check their electricity consumption anytime via the Urja Mitra app on their mobile phones. In traditional hybrid meters, bills are issued after manually taking meter readings, which allows for human intervention.

The department claims that smart meters send readings directly to the department's server, issuing bills for actual consumption with 100 percent accuracy.

Meter Assesses Every Hour

The smart meter transmits the hourly consumption readings to each consumer via the server. Electricity consumers can view their electricity consumption directly on their smartphones.

Consumers can assess their electricity consumption on an hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly basis via their mobile phones, enabling energy management and control over electricity bills.

How the Meter Works

Data transfer from smart meters is easy. There are no issues with readings even if the meter is faulty. In urban areas, radio frequency (RF) based smart meters are used, which have the capability to send data within a defined range to the Discom system. Similarly, for consumers interested in installing solar rooftops, the smart meter transforms into a net meter, eliminating the need for a separate meter installation.

Category-wise Consumers in Jalore District

• 341,321 domestic connections
• 26,254 commercial connections
• 3,923 industrial connections
• 372,091 total consumers

Meters Installed So Far

• 51,286 domestic meters
• 3,292 commercial meters
• 1,839 meters in government office buildings
• 56,769 meters for total consumers

Topic Expert

There are concerns among consumers regarding smart meters. The new meters are many times more updated and 100 percent transparent compared to the old hybrid meters. Previously, to address consumer concerns, we conducted testing of these meters, and consumers were satisfied with this investigation.

• Nimendra Raj Singh, Superintending Engineer, Discom, Jalore