Assam has the most satisfied smart meter users, says study
The Hindu
Bihar topped among six States in consumer awareness and usage of smart meter app, a study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water finds
GUWAHATI
The level of satisfaction among power consumers with smart meters is the highest in Assam, a study covering six States said.
The study titled ‘Enabling a consumer-centric smart metering transition in India’ by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) was released by R.K. Singh, the Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy in New Delhi on Monday.
India has installed 5.5 million smart meters, of which 97% are deployed in 12 States and Union Territories. But the survey, facilitated by REC Limited, was conducted across six States — Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — covering 2,700 urban households divided into 1,700 post-paid and 1,200 prepaid consumers.
These six States account for 80% of all smart meters installed in India. The study revealed that about 30% of the prepaid users of smart meters recharged more than once a month, Uttar Pradesh accounting for the highest share at 38%.
According to the study, 93% of Assam’s smart metered consumers are satisfied with the technology, can pay their bills easily, and would recommend it to others. The average rate of the States surveyed is 60%.
Assam also has the second-highest number of consumers aware of using the smart meter app after Bihar, and the highest percentage of consumers (81) accessing detailed bills digitally.
In 2021, five women from Mayithara, four of them MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers, found a common ground in their desire to create a sustainable livelihood by growing vegetables. Rajamma M., Mary Varkey, Valsala L., Elisho S., and Praseeda Sumesh, aged between 70 and 39, pooled their savings, rented a piece of land and began their collective vegetable farming journey under the Deepam Krishi group.