Agartala (Tripura) [India], July 12 (ANI): The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) showcased the progress and benefits of its ongoing Smart Meter implementation initiative in a detailed press conference held on Friday at the TSECL head office. This technical session focused on educating the public about the advantages of Smart Meters, their functionality, and how they differ from traditional electricity meters.

TSECL officials clarified that while the metering unit in both old and new meters is similar, the Smart Meter stands out due to its integration with a Network Interface Card (NIC). This card enables seamless communication with a centralized server located in the control room, allowing TSECL to remotely monitor consumption, detect faults, and offer dual billing modes -- prepaid and postpaid.

Biswajit Basu, MD, TSECL, said, 'Today's press conference was focused on smart meters. It was a technical session where we gave a detailed presentation. We demonstrated that there isn't much difference between the old meters we used earlier and the new smart meters. Both have similar metering units. The main difference is that smart meters come with a NIC (Network Interface Card) that communicates with a central server. This server is located in our control room.'

'We emphasised today that Smart Meters do not increase electricity bills,' said Basu. 'If anyone has doubts, we are ready to demonstrate the technology in person.'

The rollout of Smart Meters is being implemented under the Government of India's Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The aim is to modernize Tripura's power infrastructure, improve billing efficiency, and empower consumers with real-time data access.

Smart Meters bring several key benefits like: automated remote reading of electricity usage; real-time monitoring through mobile apps; faster fault detection and resolution; elimination of manual meter reading; support for energy-saving behaviours and accurate billing.

In a significant step towards transparency, TSECL has already initiated Smart Meter installations at the homes and official residences of Ministers, MLAs, senior bureaucrats, and TSECL employees. Additionally, feeder meters, distribution transformer meters, and consumer-end Smart Meters have already been installed across various locations. This effort is part of a larger mission to promote digital transformation in power distribution, enhance energy accountability, and reduce system losses.

During the press conference, TSECL reiterated its commitment to delivering reliable, efficient, and transparent energy services to the people of Tripura and urged all consumers to adopt Smart Meters for a more modern and responsive electricity system.

Biswajit Basu further said, 'The advantage of this system is that we can now offer both prepaid and postpaid billing options to customers. Additionally, if there is any fault in the customer's home, we will be able to detect it from our end and directly reach out to the customer. We are installing these smart meters through our distribution network. Once installed, smart meters will help us resolve many issues. After the installation of smart meters, we will be able to track everything, including what benefits and problems are occurring. That's why I urge everyone to install smart meters. These meters do not increase the electricity bill. If anyone has doubts, we are ready to demonstrate it in person.' (ANI)