CHENNAI: TANGEDCO has finally invited bids for its long-awaited smart meter project to modernise power distribution system under the union government’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme.
Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji told TNIE, “A preliminary meeting for interested bidders will be held on June 15 and they can apply from June 26 till 3 pm on July 11. The bids will be opened on July 12.”
The entire project will be divided into three packages, and installation of smart meters is likely to be completed within 18 months from the date of commencement. Currently, Tamil Nadu has approximately 3.34 crore consumers who will benefit from this initiative, excluding agriculture and hut services.
Senthil Balaji expressed hope that all people will have access to this facility by 2025. Talking about the present system, he said “Assessors visit houses to take meter readings. With the installation of smart meters, consumers will be able to view their consumption on mobile phone on a daily basis and pay their bills. Consequently, the position of assessors will be eliminated, and alternative job assignments allocated within the power utility”.
Over 15 states in India are issuing tenders for smart meter projects, with a few states having already installed them in some areas. However, Tamil Nadu is the first to initiate a complete tender process.
A Tangedco official said smart meters provide digital readings and employ a secure smart data network to automatically transmit readings at least once a month. This ensures that consumers receive accurate bills based on actual consumption, eliminating the need for estimated bills. The smart meters also enable easy identification of faults through server systems.
“The tender has been floated for the second and third packages. However, it is expected that the tender for the first package, which covers 13 districts including Chennai and other northern parts of Tamil Nadu, will be announced soon.”