The New Delhi Municipal Council (NMC) on Wednesday launched its 'Smart Meter Programme' focusing on replacing 50,000 old electricity meters with the smart ones in its area. The smart meters will enable consumers to keep a tap on their electricity consumption and the corresponding electricity bill.

According to the NDMC officials, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Super Energy Service Company (ESCO) under Ministry of Power announced completion of the project making it to be the first one in the country such a scheme. 

"With this, NDMC has become the first distribution company (DISCOM) in India to implement 100% smart metering solution. The adoption of smart meters will enhance consumer convenience and rationalise electricity consumption," an official said.

The programme as inaugurated by R K Singh, Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy. While inaugurating the programme, he said, "Smart Meters will revolutionise the power sector through their vast cascade of benefits including reduced losses, better health of DISCOMs and ease of bill payments."

He further said that the move will help generating skilled employment for the youth.

"The Government of India is accelerating the adoption of smart meters to ensure efficient management of electricity by checking data-entry errors, billing inefficiencies, and cutting the costs of manual meter reading through web-based monitoring system," he added.

With this, enabling the consumers to detect their power usage, the Council also launched smart meter feature on NDMC 311 mobile application. The smart meter tab has been added to NDMC app's home screen.

"Through this convenient and easy-to-use app, consumers can now get complete clarity on their energy habits and consumption through detailed and personalised insights," said an official.

Commenting on the feature, Naresh Kumar, Chairman, NDMC said, "NDMC has adopted the Smart Meters Programme as a part of aligning with the Government's plan to upgrade our national energy system. We aim to play a vital role in India's journey towards becoming a lower-carbon economy and an energy-secure nation."

According to some estimates given by NDMC, the adoption of Smart Meters will lead to total annual savings of Rs. 12.47 crores to NDMC which include revenue due to improvement in billing efficiency.