The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has announced plans to replace conventional electric metres with prepaid smart metres. The process is set to begin next month, that is, in the first week of October, with work already underway in the Mumbai's western and eastern suburbs.
According to reports, the initial study on these smart metres has been completed. Adani Electricity has been selected as the contractor for the project, following due procedures. They will also be responsible for maintaining the smart metres for a decade.
The new smart metres are expected to enhance customer satisfaction by providing accurate data on electricity consumption. They will also send timely notifications about energy use and help combat power thefts. Furthermore, they will enable utility companies to promptly discover and fix grid-related problems, minimise outages, and reduce downtime.
According to a report by HT, BEST will start installing these smart metres for all of its 10.50 lakh consumers in three weeks. The smart metres would offer various payment options, no late fees, and easy access to energy usage information. The entire installation process is expected to be completed within two years.
Despite this, the project has faced opposition. The Congress party has raised objections to BEST's INR 1,300 crore prepaid smart metre scheme. In July, senior Congress leader Ravi Raja claimed that the government was doing a favour to Adani Electricity by giving them the contract.
He had also raised concerns about the cost of the project. The cost of each smart metre will be INR 9,500. Of which, INR 1,300 will be provided by the centre, whereas the rest will be paid by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
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