3 months ago
1
A small implicit 1.70 lakh astute meters person been installed successful Kerala nether the astute metering constituent of the Centrally-assisted Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), according to an update from the Union Power Ministry.
This includes 1.67 lakh user meters arsenic good arsenic 111 organisation transformer meters and 2,904 feeder meters of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), the State-run powerfulness inferior which is the implementing bureau successful Kerala, according to the Ministry’s February 2 update which cited information till December 31, 2025.
The KSEB had started piloting the astute metre task successful prime electrical sections past year. In the archetypal phase, the powerfulness inferior is readying to person 3 lakh meters installed.
State Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty had presented a somewhat updated fig successful the State Assembly past week. According to him, successful the archetypal phase, which is presently successful progress, the KSEB had installed 1,71,285 meters arsenic of January 20. This phase, expected to beryllium completed by August 31 this year, covers strategy meters (transformer, feeder, and borderline meters) of the KSEB, authorities consumers and meters of high-tension (HT) energy consumers.
Under the RDSS scheme, Kerala was fixed support for installing 1.33 crore astute meters crossed aggregate phases.
Meanwhile, the KSEB has kicked disconnected the process for tendering the 2nd signifier of the astute metering task successful the State nether the alternate connection approved by the State government. In this phase, adjacent to 50 lakh meters volition beryllium installed for consumers. This volition see 15 lakh caller connections arsenic good 35 lakh replacements of existing meters, according to the Power department. The 2nd signifier volition screen energy consumers with monthly depletion successful excess of 150 units, monthly-billed consumers, and those consumers who privation to instal astute meters. The KSEB is aiming to implicit the 2nd signifier by May 2028.
The Union authorities had launched RDSS successful July 2021 for improving the operational ratio and fiscal sustainability of powerfulness organisation utilities successful States and Union Territories. Smart metering is simply a large constituent nether it. Although the Centre had stipulated a full expenditure (TOTEX) exemplary for implementation, this program was dropped successful Kerala pursuing absorption from powerfulness assemblage unions. Subsequently, the KSEB had prepared an alternate superior expenditure (CAPEX) model, deemed much financially viable, which was approved by the State authorities successful August 2023.
