Visakhapatnam: smart energy meters will solve problems of power consumers, says official

‘People can pay their electricity charges just like they do in case of prepaid mobile phones’

Have a host of electrical gadgets at home and is worried about their safety during voltage fluctuations? Vexed with going to the electricity office every month to pay your bill? Relax, smart energy meters, installed for the first time in the State on an experimental basis in Visakhapatnam, promise a solution.

“A total of 100 smart meters have been installed at different locations, parallel to the old (existing meters) for 95 single phase consumers and 5 three phase consumers in Zone-1. The smart meters are electronically controlled,” says A.V.V. Surya Pratap, Superintending Engineer of Eastern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited (AP EPDCL).

“Consumers can pay their electricity charges just like they do in the case of prepaid mobile phones. They will have to maintain some balance in the prepaid card and use it to pay their electricity bill. The consumers will be alerted when their balance is low and there will be no disconnection of service during nights,” Mr. Surya Pratap told The Hindu, when asked about the new meters on Friday.