Jagdalpur, (Chhattisgarh) : The Electricity Department has started installing prepaid smart meters in Jagdalpur, marking the beginning of a new era in electricity distribution. The first phase of the project has commenced in the CSEB Colony, where 52 houses are being equipped with the new meters. In the second phase, the meters will be installed in government offices and households.

Currently, the city has around 47,000 consumers, and soon, smart meters will be installed in every household, free of cost. The prepaid smart meters will enable consumers to recharge their meters, similar to mobile balance, and the electricity supply will be available according to the recharge amount. The traditional postpaid meters will be replaced by the new prepaid meters, which will eliminate the need for meter readings and reduce the instances of non-payment of bills.

The prepaid meters will be recharged by the consumers, and the available balance will determine the electricity supply. Once the balance is exhausted, the electricity supply will be disconnected. However, consumers will receive a message three days before the balance exhaustion, enabling them to recharge their meters and avoid any disruption in the electricity supply.

The Electricity Department will no longer need to send staff to read meters, and the new system will also prevent cases of non-payment of bills. The prepaid smart meters will provide a convenient and efficient way for consumers to manage their electricity usage and payments.

In the current system, postpaid meters are installed in every household, and the electricity bill is received after a month of consumption. With prepaid smart meters, consumers will have more control over their electricity usage and payments. If the balance is exhausted at night, the electricity supply will not be disconnected immediately, and consumers will have time until the next morning to recharge their meters. The payment for the consumed electricity will be deducted automatically from the available balance.