Odisha Moves Towards Pre-Paid Electricity With new Smart Meters

Odisha has decided to introduce pre-paid smart electricity meters in the state in order to stop power theft and meter tampering

The state government of Odisha has decided to introduce pre-paid smart electricity meters in the state in order to stop power theft and meter tampering, Energy Minister D S Mishra has said.

The consumers will get a pre-paid card to re-charge their electricity meter as they do in mobile phone service after completion of their paid amount, he said. The main purpose of installing such meters is to put a check on meter tampering and power theft. 

Smart meters will be launched on a pilot basis in Sambalpur and Rourkela and the government will decide on extending this facility to the rest of the state after getting feedback from the two towns, Mishra said. 

States such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, New Delhi and Puducherry have already implemented such meters, the minister added.

In July, Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh had said that India is moving towards a new regime where a power consumer would pay first and then get power supply, which would eventually deal with the issue of non-payment in the sector.

“That is what we are going to do. We are putting a connect between payment and delivery. You make the payment first and then you will get the power… there is no such thing as free power. You cannot produce power without an investment,” Singh said addressing the 20th Annual Day of PTC India.

He further said “power has a cost and somebody has to pay for it. If you want to give free power then go ahead. But you (states) have to pay for it from your budget. That is what we are going to do.”

Elaborating about non-payment which was one of the main reasons for stress in the power sector, Singh said “there was a disconnect between sustainability considerations and immediate political considerations in many states.”