A boon to discoms, but privacy concerns remain over smart meters

The government’s move to push smart meters could reduce bill shocks for power consumers and potentially rein in the debt woes of distribution companies (discoms) by reducing theft and improving their operational efficiency, but privacy issues continue to linger.

This comes in the backdrop of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, where India has committed to reduce its carbon footprint by 30-35 per cent by 2030, based on the emissions in 2005. In October, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), India’s version of a sovereign wealth fund, formed a joint venture with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) to implement, finance and operate the smart meter rollout programme.