Four lakh connections to get new type of electric meter by March

• Installation of digital electric meter

Mangaluru: Mescom (Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited) has come forward to replace the old electro-mechanical electric meters installed at houses, offices and shops with the new type of electric meters with digital reading capability. Accordingly, now Mescom is installing the new digital electric meters in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi district and along with all the four districts coming under its jurisdiction.

Work is being conducted on the installation of ‘Static Meter’ with digital reading facility under the union government’s IPDS (Integrated Power Development Scheme) and DDUGY (Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana).

Within Mescom’s jurisdiction come four districts including DK, Udupi, Shimoga and Chikmagalur and has altogether 24 lakh electricity connections. It has been aimed to change all the old electric meters in them. It has been decided that in the first phase, the new meters will be installed in 4 lakh connections only. Later, it will be done in phases everywhere, inform sources from Mescom. The process of calling separate tenders for city and rural areas is being conducted.

One-and-a-half lakh installations completed

 Since there several technical problems with the older electric meter, including the meter reading, the customers used to face a lot of problems. Also complaints were coming in this regard. Therefore, action has been taken for the change of the electric meters. Besides, all the systems in the electricity department are getting digitalized and hence it has been aimed to change the meters into digital meters also. Accordingly, the change programme is being conducted under IPDS in urban areas while for the rural areas it’s through the DDUGY. Already about one-and-a-half lakh digital meters have been installed.

To be completed by March

Under the two schemes, Mescom has aimed to install 4 lakh static meters divided into 2 lakh each for urban and rural areas. In this way, it has decided to install all the new meters by March end 2019, informed Mescom officials with Udayavani.

What is a digital meter?

The new static meter will not have mechanical parts unlike its predecessor, the electro-mechanical meter. The meter will also not have a turning wheel. Instead there will be an automatic system. The meter will not have a dial. Units will be displayed directly based on the amount of electricity used. In the earlier meter, a few people showed their sly of hand and manipulated the meter reading, thereby causing loss to the company by showing a lower meter reading. But the digital meter does not provide any opportunity for any type of modification to the meter reading.

Free new meter for the customers

According to union government’s scheme, Mescom is not collecting any fee from its customers for the installation of the new electric meters. The cost incurred for the installation of the new digital meter is shared 60% by the central government and 40% by Mescom. Hence, the customers need not worry regarding the installation of the new digital electric meters.

Removal of old meters

“Many old electric meters are being changed under the central government’s scheme. It is expected to be mostly completed by the month of March,” said Snehal Rayamane, Mescom Managaing Director

Article by Prajnya Shetty translated into English by Aaron Dmello