Electricity tariff
Those areas where the smart meters have been installed are experiencing reduced rates on the tariff.
PDD department has recently said that they will achieve100 pc smart metering across Jammu and Kashmir by the year 2026.
“It is pertinent to mention that in J&K, the electricity tariff being charged from consumers stands as one of the lowest across the country”, the spokesperson added.
Installing a smart electricity meter can help bear the load of shooting high energy prices and address the fundamental issues plaguing the distribution sector. Smart meters enable precise billing based on actual usage, eliminating the surprise of unexpectedly high bills due to inaccuracies. These tools can quickly detect power outages allowing for a faster response time to restore power. Customers can monitor their electricity usage in nearly real-time and make changes to their consumption patterns leading to lower electricity bills.
He elaborated that the primary sufferers due to deficient metering system are the consumers themselves, experiencing irregular and poor-quality power supply. As such, J&K has undertaken the smart meter installation in three phases under PMDP/ RDSS schemes.
The first phase which started in the year 2022 stands completed with installation of 1.5 lakh smart meters in Jammu &Srinagar cities. The second phase covering 5.50 Lakh smart meters is under implementation while the third phase, which comprises remaining 14 Lakh smart meters, has also commenced, targeted for completion by 2026, thereby accomplishing 100% smart metering in J&K.
As regards the pricing/electricity tariff rates being charged from consumers, the said rates are determined and approved by independent Regulatory Commissions and not by the DISCOMs taking into account various factors such as cost of power purchase from generating companies, transmission expenses, staffing, and maintenance costs etc., to ensure that consumers are charged fairly. For example, in J&K, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) is responsible for determining the electricity tariff.
