Free smart electricity meters for consumers in Odisha

In a major relief for electricity consumers, the Odisha government has announced that there will be no meter rent or installation charges for smart meters. The State will bear the full cost of installing smart meters for consumers using electricity up to 2 kilowatts. The decision was taken at Odisha Cabinet meeting held yesterday.

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As per the new policy, consumers will no longer need to install smart meters on their own. Instead, the government will facilitate installation without any financial burden on eligible users. However, the decision triggered opposition on Thursday from electricity consumer associations and those who have already installed smart meters at their own expense.

The electricity consumers’ federation (Bidyut Upabhokta Mahasangh) has argued that if the State government is willing to bear the cost, the amount should be directly transferred to consumers instead of distribution companies.

They warned that routing funds through distribution companies could raise concerns over transparency, quality, and possible corruption.

Consumers who had earlier installed smart meters using their own money demanded either a full refund or an adjustment of the already spent amount in their future electricity bills. They expressed dissatisfaction over being excluded from the benefits of the new policy.

Smart meters are chip-based and prepaid, allowing consumers to receive usage updates through mobile messages. While they ensure accurate readings and timely alerts before balance exhaustion, many consumers fear higher readings and increased costs.

More than 13 lakh electricity consumers have already installed smart meters, while many others remain hesitant.

For the financial year 2025–26, the Government plans to install 11,53,100 smart meters for consumers up to 2 KW. Of these, 8,75,000 will replace old meters, and around 2,78,100 will be used for new electricity connections.

“Consumers’ rights must come first. Why should Tata Power (a DISCOM) be paid the amount towards meter cost? A consumer should be allowed to purchase a Smart Meter, and it must be tested under the person’s knowledge,” the outfit president, Ramesh Satpathy, said.

“More than 11,50,000 consumers will get the Smart Metering benefits. They would not have to pay the meter rent. The installation cost will be borne by the government. Hopefully, this initiative will bring efficiency and help reduce power loss incurred during transmission,” Odisha Chief Secretary, Manoj Ahuja, said yesterday after the Cabinet meeting.

Reported By: Soumya Ranjan Sahoo, Dillip Kumar Sahu, Subham Rohila