Smart metering: KSEB directed to file petition for Phase II implementation in Kerala

The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission has asked the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to file a separate petition before it for the approval of the capital investment plan and detailed project report for Phase II of the smart metering project in the State.

The directive came in a recent order the commission issued on the billing procedure, meter rent and methodology for levying the security deposit for the smart prepaid meters of government consumers.

As per the February 6 order issued by the KSEB, Phase II will cover 35 lakh consumers (which could go up to 50 lakh, considering the additions of new consumers) at an estimated cost of ₹3,260 crore. This phase will cover all consumers with consumption above 150 units a month except agriculture consumers, all prosumers and public electric vehicle charging stations, all offices of the KSEB, consumers who opt for smart meters, monthly-billed consumers and all new consumers, except BPL and agriculture consumers.

Under the RDSS scheme, Kerala was given approval for installing 1.33 crore smart meters across multiple phases. This phase covers system meters of the KSEB and the government consumers and high-tension consumers. In the first phase, three lakh prepaid meters are being installed. On March 2, the KSEB announced that government offices were set to migrate to prepaid smart metering, which forms Phase I of the programme.

Around 1.3 lakh consumers, including offices under the State government departments and public sector units, will move to pre-paid billing in this phase.