Power sector may soon offer telecom-like tariffs - Consumers can buy pre-paid cards, time-of-day packages

Power consumers will soon be offered a ‘menu' for electricity tariffs – different charges for different types of usage, as is the case in the telecom sector.The facility is already in place, albeit for high-tension (HT) consumers, as the discoms (distribution companies) have started using smart energy meters (SEMs). Soon, pre-paid cards and time-of-day packages will also be offered to consumers.

ICT solutions

Equipped with information technology and communication (ICT) solutions, SEMs can remotely monitor usage patterns, pilferages and peak load management in real time.“You will see pre-paid electricity cards. You can buy an Rs 500 voucher and you can plan its use as per your needs,” according to Mr Kapil Mohan, Director of APDRP (Accelerated Power Development and Management) in the Union Ministry of Power.

Some discoms in Kerala and Rajasthan have already started offering pre-paid schemes to HT consumers in their respective states.Last week, the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) approved the ToD (Time of Day Tariff) for HT consumers.

This will encourage users to distribute some of their power consumption to off-peak time that could attract lesser tariff.“It will take some time before it comes to the domestic consumers. There will be pilots here and there to offer these differential tariffs,” Mr G. Bala Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of ICSA (India) Limited told Business Line.Installation of SEMs is part of a nation-wide programme to modernise transmission and distribution networks of power utilities, with an estimated spend of Rs 52,000 crore under the APDRP and R-APDRP (Restructured-APDRP).It is estimated that the power utilities across the country lose Rs 45,000 crore annually as nearly 30 per cent of power is lost in transmission and distribution.Mr Bala Reddy said that the APRDP programme envisaged replacing the existing traditional meters with smart meters.

Monitoring usage

“To begin with, we have installed remote 4,000 meters at the premises of HT consumers in the Eastern Distribution network in Visakhapatnam. We are monitoring the usage in real time and making bills remotely,” he said.