Lucknow: Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL) has informed the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) that it has recorded an increase in power consumption with smart meters as compared to non-smart meters, for the same period.In its reply to UPERC’s letter dated April 18, the discom said that as of now, smart meters have been installed on the premises of 15,21,432 consumers. Out of these, 12,80,475 meters are functioning in prepaid mode.“We have carried out an analysis comparing electricity consumption recorded by smart meters with that of conventional ones. Based on actual average consumption data, we found an increase in recorded consumption after the installation of smart meters,” the reply said.According to the figures submitted, between July and Dec 2024, when consumers were using conventional meters, average monthly consumption stood at 118.94 units. In the corresponding period of July to Dec 2025, after smart prepaid meters were installed, the average rose to 219.15 units. This reflected an increase of 100.21 units, or about 84.24%, PVVNL said.The discom clarified that quality checks are being carried out at multiple stages. Before installation, smart meters supplied by the advanced metering infrastructure service provider undergo routine testing according to Indian standards, along with acceptance testing by departmental officials.“According to provisions of rollout plan, sample smart meters are being tested at NABL-accredited laboratories such as Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) and Electrical Research and Development Association (ERDA) during pre-dispatch stage. To ensure accuracy and reliability, check meters are being installed on the premises of 5% of consumers,” chief engineer Pramod Kumar wrote to UPERC.Member of UPERC’s Supply Code Review Panel sub-committee Avadhesh Kumar Verma said, “PVVNL’s response to UPERC does not provide a clear explanation for the reason behind the rise in consumption of power with smart meters. The discom has not provided details about the test results of smart meters. Merely installing check meters does not solve the core issue.”
