J-K: Installation of Smart Meters underway in Poonch

Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 5 (ANI): Smart meters are being installed in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir to enhance power distribution and cut losses.
Electrical Engineer Vinod Dabur informed on Saturday that the drive to install smart meters has been underway in Poonch for the past 2.5 months.
"The installation of smart meters has started in Poonch. This drive has been going on for the past 2.5 months. There are 7000 domestic consumers in Poonch City. So we have started the implementation with domestic consumers. The installation is also being done in a commercial establishment," Vinod Dabur told ANI.

Vinod Babur also clarified the misconception that people are being charged more with smart meters. He said the units depend on electricity usage.

"We wanna tell people that it is beneficial. There's a misconception that more units have been reported. We wanna clear that it depends on your usage; the charges depend on the units we consume. You can download the app and can see how many units are being consumed hourly and based on per day," he said.
He also added that cabling will start once the meters are installed.
"I want to tell people that the installation of cabling will begin where the meter has been installed. This will be done to minimise the losses. This is the flagship program of the Government of India and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Most people will benefit from them," he said.
Vinod Dabur also informed that the government has sent 1000 meters to be installed in Poonch city in this cycle and is constantly sending more.
"The government has sent 1000 meters out of which 900 have been implemented. The government is constantly sending the meters. The process will take four to six months with cabling," he said.
Noting the benefits of Smart Meters, he said it will reduce the load on transformers, reduce conductor snapping.
The installation of smart meters has been progressing all over India, with around 2.0 crore meters installed by January 2025, according to a report by Care Edge Ratings last week.
However, the report anticipates that smart meter installations will reach only 25 per cent of the target of 25 core meters by March 2026, falling short of the government's set goal.
"The ambitious target of installing 25 crore smart meters requires a significant investment of Rs 1.25 lakh crore, with Rs 95,000 crore in debt and a 25 per cent equity contribution," said the report.
India is making significant strides with its ambitious plan to install 25 crore smart meters over five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, presenting a USD 20-25 billion opportunity for the energy sector under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), which was launched in 2017. (ANI)