Smart Meters Installed Under RDSS
Author: PPD Team Date: July 29, 2025
A total of 2.41 crore smart meters have been installed across 28 states and union territories under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) as of 15 July 2025, out of the 20.33 crore meters sanctioned.
In Gujarat, 1.67 crore meters have been approved under the scheme, with 20.94 lakh already installed. According to state utilities, installation is in the early stages, and division-wide coverage is ongoing. Any improvement in operational metrics will be assessed once this phase is completed.
The following table presents the cumulative state-wise installation data across financial years:
Note: *Negative value in Madhya Pradesh FY24 as per original data; likely a correction or adjustment.
Smart meters provide real-time consumption data, which helps reduce billing errors by replacing estimates with actual readings. Automation in data collection limits manual input, which in turn reduces human error. These meters also aid in identifying and curbing power theft, supporting better revenue recovery.
The Government of India is assisting state-level utilities through reforms aimed at improving performance and financial sustainability. RDSS links funding to measurable improvements in parameters such as the gap between average cost of supply and average revenue (ACS-ARR), and Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses.
Additional measures include permitting extra borrowing of up to 0.5 per cent of a state’s gross domestic product for utilities taking loss-reduction steps. Loan sanctions for state power utilities are also now tied to their performance. Other reforms mandate timely adjustment of fuel and power procurement costs through cost-reflective tariffs.
These efforts apply across utility areas, including smaller towns. As a result, national AT&C losses declined from 21.91 per cent in FY21 to 16.12 per cent in FY24, and the ACS-ARR gap narrowed from Rs 0.69 per kWh to Rs 0.19 per kWh over the same period.
Source: Press Information Bureau
