Smart Meters will Start Working in Pre-Paid Mode from New Year in Jharkhand | 19 Dec 2022

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on December 18, 2022, Smart Meters will start working in pre-paid mode from January in Ranchi, Jharkhand. In the first phase, 1,000 meters installed under the pilot project will be converted into pre-paid smart meters, which will be started from January 10.

Key Points

• The it cell of Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) found the data sample survey report to be correct, after which the project has got the green signal. A total of 3.5 lakh smart meters are to be installed inside Ranchi city. Under its first phase, 45 thousand smart meters will be installed.
• The chip has been installed in the smart meter and its signal will reach the receiver installed in the power companies through mobile towers. Meters are being installed outside the basement to avoid network problems.
• With the help of network frequency, the meter will first transfer data to the head end system (HES). After this, the generated data will be decoded and sent to the consumer as the final bill with the help of the software after the tariff calculation under the billing cycle through the meter data management system.
• After smart metering, JBVNL will get rid of line loss due to power theft and other means in Ranchi. Currently, about 20 percent of the power lines go into loss. Apart from this, the problem of errors, wrong bills, etc. during meter reading by energy friends will also be relieved.
• Consumers will be able to easily assess the current, balance electricity bill, electricity balance and consumption through the display screen installed on the prepaid smart meter.
• Consumers will be able to use electricity on a minimum recharge of Rs 200 and depending on the consumption, it can be a maximum of 20 thousand or even more for commercial users in special circumstances. After the amount is over, the electricity will be automatically cut off. However, as the money runs out, consumers will continue to receive messages on their mobiles as a warning.
• It is worth mentioning that after paying the dues on behalf of JBVNL, the ban imposed by the central government on power exchange and modern power has been lifted.