Electricity Board proposes fivefold hike in smart meter rent

KOCHI: The Kerala State Electricity Board has proposed a more than fivefold increase in electricity meter rent as the state shifts to prepaid smart meters. As part of the move to prepaid smart meters in Kerala, single-phase consumers will see the monthly meter rent rise from Rs 6 to Rs 31. For three-phase consumers, the rent will increase to Rs 36 per month. Currently, electricity bills issued every two months show Rs 12 as meter rent. Under the new proposal, this will increase to Rs 62 for single-phase users and Rs 72 for three-phase users. In the first phase, smart meters have been installed in around 1.72 lakh government offices.

The proposal to begin collecting the revised rent from this month was submitted to the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission. Since the same meter rent is currently charged to all categories, domestic consumers will also have to pay the same revised rate that is being charged to government consumers. The installation of prepaid smart meters will be carried out in phases across the state. In the initial phase, about three lakh smart meters will be installed in government offices and among high-tension consumers.

Later, around 50 lakh electricity consumers in the state will be shifted to smart meters. The cost of existing electrical meters ranges from Rs 800 to Rs 900. However, smart meters cost between Rs 3,100 and Rs 4,700. To recover this amount, the board has proposed fixing the monthly rent starting from Rs 31, including 8.75 percent interest. For high-consumption LT-CT consumers, the monthly meter rent has been fixed at Rs 47. The Regulatory Commission has, for now, directed that the old rates continue. A final order on the proposed rent hike is expected after the elections.