In Bihar, EESL and DISCOM are fastly installing smart prepaid meters.
Both these companies have targeted to install around 2 crore smart prepaid meters in the state.
While these companies are installing the prepaid meters, problems related to billing are emerging day by day.
People are complaining that after installing smart prepaid meters, their electricity bills are raised.
To solve such issues and any problem related to billing, the bihar electricity department will soon hire an agency.
The hiring process has started and soon an agency will be selected.
The selected agency will work together with the electricity department (to solve billing related issues) for the coming 7 years.
Two Billing Softwares for Smart Prepaid Meters
Currently, two softwares are used to take care of smart prepaid meter billing activities.
The first one is managed by Energy Efficiency Services Limited and the second one by NIC.
Due to these two software, SBPCL and NBPDCL are facing problems in the operations.
To counter this problem, the selected agency will develop one software as well as manage it.
2 Crore Smart Meters to Install in Bihar
Currently, there are around 1 crore 80 lakh electricity consumers in the state.
And, the number of these consumers are increasing by 5 to 6 lakh each year.
Hence, it is predicted that in the coming 5 to 6 years, the number of electricity consumers in the state would cross 2 crore.
That’s why the installation of smart prepaid meters in the state should be conducted in a phased manner.
If we follow the officials statement, then, In the first phase 23 lakh prepaid meters are to be installed in the urban area.
Out of these 23 lakh prepaid meters, 15 lakh are already installed.
Now, talking about rural areas 36 lakh prepaid meters are planned to be installed in the first phase.
Out of these 36 lakh prepaid meters, 26 lakh meters are to be installed in north bihar whereas 10 lakh meters in south bihar.
So far, 1.5 lakh smart prepaid meters have been installed in the rural areas of Bihar.
Are you one of those consumers facing billing related problems with the smart prepaid meter? If your answer is yes, then don’t worry because the company is soon hiring an agency to solve such a problem.