Thread by @CEEWIndia

#Thread #NewStudy

Can smart meters make India's power sector more people-centric?

60% of consumers in India are satisfied with smart meters and would recommend them to friends & relatives, according to a new CEEW study based on a survey of 2,700 households in 6 states.

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The Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme aims to replace 250 million conventional electricity meters with smart prepaid meters by 2025-26.

They can help power discoms improve billing & revenue collection & enable consumers to track & manage electricity consumption and expenses.

➡️ Over 90% of surveyed consumers had a smooth smart meter installation experience

➡️ 50% reported improvements in billing regularity since switching to smart meters

📍 The 6 surveyed states account for 80% of the 5.5 million smart meters installed in India

Over ⅓ of the consumers reported co-benefits of using smart meters, such as
👉greater sense of control over electricity expenses
👉a drop in electricity theft
👉improved power supply to the locality

Assam has the highest share of satisfied consumers who feel smart (prepaid) meters have enabled greater control over electricity expenses.

Bihar reports the highest awareness and uptake of the smart meter app, driven by intensive consumer engagement efforts.

What are the challenges consumers face as part of the smart meters rollout?

➡️ Only 45% of consumers use smart meter apps due to gaps in digital literacy

➡️ 70% of consumers still prefer paper bills as SMS updates do not provide a breakup of bills

What can be done to ensure a reliable transition to smart meters?

👉Launch awareness campaigns about smart meters and mobile apps
👉Phase out paper bills only gradually
👉Give timely alerts and diverse payment options to prepaid consumers

Read more in our new study 👇
📖 Enabling a consumer-centric smart metering transition in India
🔗bit.ly/3JWZSia

@ShaluAgrawal12 @sunilmani02 @simrankalra441 @BloombergDotOrg @macfound

Smart meters are also known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), which come with cyber vulnerabilities due to heavy dependency on digitisation.

How can India's power sector strengthen cyber security with digitisation increasing?

For a more cyber-secure power sector, we recommend:
👉 providing deeper technical support to discoms and developing a local ecosystem for security services
👉strengthening the provisions to hold discoms and vendors accountable for lapses in cyber security

Read more in our new study 👇
📖 Making India’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Resilient
🔗bit.ly/403lKhk

@ShaluAgrawal12 @AggarwalDhruvak @simrankalra441