Now, pre-paid meters to check power theft

Pankul Sharma | TNN
Meerut: In a bid to curb power theft, Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd. (PVVNL) is planning to introduce pre-paid electricity meters. In the first phase distribution companies (discoms) will provide these meters to roadside vendors, makeshift shopkeepers and government offices. PVVNL will introduce these in Meerut, Morabad, Ghaziabad and Saharanpur zones.
Director (technical) of Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd. (PVVNL), Alok Verma, told TOI, “Just like telecom companies, we are going to provide prepaid meters to costumers. UP electricity regulatory commission has directed discoms to expedite the process of distributing pre-paid meters to government institutions using less than 45 kW. Any consumer with a pre-paid meter will also be entitled to a discount of 1.25%.”
Verma said that in the first phase, meters would be distributed across 14 districts in government offices such as those of the PWD, district administration, police, judiciary and Jal Nigam.
“Pre-paid meters will benefit not only to those who pay their bills honestly but also discoms. Discoms will use the money to reduce losses, which it will get as electricity charges in advance through pre-paid meters. Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (MVVNL) has purchased 15,500 single-phase pre-paid meters and 18,550 three-phase meters for all five discoms in UP. 5,000 single-phase and 4,000 three-phase meters will be in our share. If we get a good response, we will ask for more meters. Indeed, people will check the tendency to misuse electricity as we still live in a time of power shortage and outages,” he added.
According to electricity department sources, line-loss has become one of the biggest challenges discoms face in UP and is one of the biggest causes of power-theft. Elsewhere, line-loss is assumed to be between 6-8% but many districts in UP face upto 40-45% line-loss.