Patna: Companies engaged in installing smart prepaid electricity meters in Bihar will now also be responsible for energy accounting in their respective service areas over the next decade.
Under the arrangement, firms will monitor electricity distribution and consumption patterns, analyse billing data and submit reports to power distribution companies. Officials say the initiative has been prioritised as part of efforts to strengthen oversight of the power network.
The primary objective is to use technology-based monitoring to reduce electricity theft and improve the accuracy of billing.
How Energy Accounting Works
Power utilities have installed SIM-enabled monitoring devices on power distribution transformers across different regions.
These devices transmit real-time data on the amount of electricity supplied through each transformer directly to the utilities’ servers. The information is then compared with consumer usage and billing records.
This process, known as energy accounting, helps utilities assess the gap between electricity supplied and electricity billed.
Responsibility Linked to Smart Meter Deployment
The responsibility for energy accounting has been assigned to the same companies that installed smart prepaid meters in a particular area.
These firms will be required to examine whether the volume of electricity distributed through a transformer is reflected in corresponding consumer billing. They will analyse consumption and billing data for consumers connected to each transformer and identify possible reasons for discrepancies.
The findings will be submitted to power distribution companies for further action.
Focus on Detecting Losses and Irregularities
Officials believe the system will make it easier to identify instances of electricity theft and other billing irregularities.
The analysis will also help determine whether consumers with higher sanctioned or actual electricity loads are being billed appropriately. Areas showing significant differences between supply and billed consumption can then be investigated more closely.
More Than 90 Lakh Smart Meters Installed
Bihar currently has around 2.22 crore electricity consumers. Of these, more than 90 lakh households have already been equipped with smart prepaid meters, according to official figures.
The installation drive is continuing across the state, which means the scope of energy accounting undertaken by smart meter companies is expected to expand further in the coming years.
Power utilities say the initiative is intended to improve transparency, strengthen distribution management and support efforts to reduce power losses across the network.
