VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary K Vijayanand directed the power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to achieve 100% metering of feeders and distribution transformers (DTs) by November 30, to enable real-time monitoring and transparency in power supply.
Vijayanand chaired a high-level review meeting with the CMDs of the three DISCOMs — L Sivashankar (APEPDCL), I Prudhvi Tej (APCPDCL), and P Pulla Reddy (APSPDCL) — and emphasised the need for seamless communication and data integration through the Head-End System and Meter Data Management System (MDMS).
Under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), Andhra Pradesh has installed 17.96 lakh smart meters, covering 45% of the approved scope, with 96% of them successfully transmitting data. Vijayanand commended the progress but directed DISCOMs and Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Providers (AMISPs) to deploy more manpower and expedite installations, prioritising government offices, commercial establishments, and high-consumption domestic users.
He reviewed prepaid metering, which began with pilot projects in APEPDCL, and ordered its swift rollout across all government departments. The new Group Wallet mechanism, will clear arrears and boost disciplined energy consumption.
Vijayanand instructed officials to complete check meter installations, strengthen Operation & Maintenance (O&M) teams, deploy Service Level Agreement (SLA) monitoring tools, conduct cybersecurity audits, and run public awareness campaigns to support the transition to prepaid systems.
He described smart metering as a “game-changer” for billing accuracy, loss reduction, and consumer empowerment through digital transparency. He urged DISCOMs to coordinate closely with the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and the MoP to ensure uninterrupted funding and strict compliance with RDSS norms.
Feeder-level monitoring has reached 92.65% statewide, with APSPDCL leading at 98.07%, followed by APCPDCL at 93.88%, and APEPDCL at 83.53%. Vijayanand mandated fixing smart meters on all non-communicating or modem-less feeders by November 30, to enable 100% visibility and full integration with RTGS.
APCPDCL has completed 100% (3,825 feeders), APSPDCL 99.9% (6,436 of 6,443), and APEPDCL 92.5% (3,790 of 4,097). Vijayanand praised the utilities for maintaining over 90% communication reliability and urged the resolution of connectivity bottlenecks in remote substations to ensure complete network transparency and operational efficiency.
