From now on, if the consumers in Punjab do not pay the electricity bills on time, then their lights will go off. This function will be present in the new Smart meters that will be installed in houses of Punjab. Powercom will begin the installation of these Smart meters from Patiala. In the first phase, these meters will be installed in the homes of 4.5 lakh consumers.
Prior to the installation, testing of smart meters was done by Powercom at ME Lab in Patiala. It aims to bring transparency and efficiency in the power distribution system. The smart meter will have both postpaid and prepaid facilities just like mobile services. Consumers will be able to recharge an amount starting from ₹50 to consumption. A special feature will be that if the consumer wants to, then she/he can turn off the meter.
Powercom will also get rid of the hassle of power theft, load system, bill receipt, filling, etc. A Powercom spokesperson said that if the electricity bill is not deposited within the stipulated period after the new meter is installed, then the power supply will automatically stop. The supply will be smooth when the consumer submits the bill.
There will be many more features in these Smart meters. If more power is used than the fixed load in the house, then the supply will be stopped. The supply will be smooth only after load control. Along with this, how much electricity was sent from which transformer, where and how much was consumed would also be recorded. No employee will need to come to the house to take the meter reading, which will be seen from the power office itself.
Powercom has also claimed that 30% electricity theft takes place in Punjab. After the installation of the Smart meter, this electricity theft will be curbed. The cost of the Smart meters has been fixed at around ₹7,000. Information about the malfunction in the meter will reach the control form, from where a team will be sent from the headquarters to fix it.
