KSEB starts pilot installation of smart meters in Thiruvananthapuram
In the initial phase, smart meters will be installed for govt consumers, HT consumers, distribution transformers, 11 kV and 22 kV feeders and electrical division boundaries.
By Nov, smart meters would be set up in 1.8k govt offices and on 11 kV and 22 kV feeders in substations.
Around 1.5 lakh single-phase meters would be installed in govt offices, with testing underway for 50,000 of these meters. Similarly, 1,000 out of 3,000 feeder meters were already made available to KSEB. The remaining smart meters will be available by Sept. Transformer border meters will be installed by March 2026 and HT consumer meters by Aug 2026, authorities said.
Although smart meters are not currently being installed for regular consumers, plans are being prepared for this in future phases. Most states in the country are implementing the smart meter project using the TOTEX model. However, Kerala govt has decided to implement the smart meter project in phases using a cost-effective CAPEX model.
Based on this, KSEB has prepared an alternative model and tendered for the installation of 3 lakh smart meters. Despite the relatively small number of meters being installed, the rates are the lowest compared to TOTEX-based smart meter projects conducted in the country so far, KSEB claimed.
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