New timelines notified for replacement of existing meters with smart meters

On August 17, 2021, the Central Government has notified the timelines for replacement of existing meters with smart meters with prepayment feature, vide Notification No. 23/35/2019-R&R . In supersession of the notification dated 17th August, 2021, the following timelines are hereby notified. This notification shall be effective from the date of publication in the Gazette of India and the earlier notification dated 17th August, 2021 stands withdrawn.

1. All consumers (other than agricultural consumers) in areas with communication network, shall be supplied electricity with Smart Meters working in prepayment mode, conforming to relevant IS, within the timelines specified below:

• • All Union Territories, all electrical divisions with high AT&C Loss (Urban Areas with AT&C loss >15% and rural areas with AT&C loss >25%), Industrial and Commercial consumers, all Government offices at Block level and above, shall be metered with smart meters, with prepayment mode, by 31st December, 2023:
    Provided that these areas shall also be covered for smart Distribution Transformer (DT) metering by the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Provider ( AMISP), on a priority basis, by 31st March, 2023;
    Provided also that the State Regulatory Commission may, by notification, extend the said period of implementation, giving reasons to do so, only twice but not more than six months at a time, for a class or classes of consumers or for such areas as may be specified in that notification;
  • All other areas shall be metered with smart meters, with prepayment mode, by 31st March, 2025:
    Provided that in these areas smart Distribution Transformer (DT) metering shall be completed by 31st December, 2023;
  • All feeders shall be metered by 31st December, 2022;
  • All the feeder meters shall be made communicable under National Feeder Monitoring System (NFMS) by 31st December, 2022 and shall have Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) facility or shall be covered under Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).

2. In areas which do not have communication network, installation of prepayment meters, conforming to relevant IS, may be allowed by the respective State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
3. All consumer connections, having current carrying capacity beyond that specified in relevant IS, may be provided with meters with smart meters having AMR facility.
4. Distribution Transformers (DTs) and High Voltage Distribution System (HVDS) transformers having a capacity of less than 25 kVA and DTs feeding only agricultural consumers may be excluded from the above timelines.