Smart meter rollout brings ₹692 crore profit:Despite protests and complaints, maximum coverage in Narsinghpur and Bhopal

Questions over electricity smart meters continue in Madhya Pradesh, with the public and opposition parties, including the Congress, raising concerns about their impact. The issue was again discussed in the Assembly when Congress MLA Atif Aqueel from the Bhopal North seat questioned the Energy Minister about the benefits and results of installing smart meters. In reply, the Energy Department said that smart meters have increased revenue by ₹692 crore in the Bhopal and Jabalpur divisions alone. The department told the House that after smart meters were installed in these two divisions, cases of electricity theft reduced and government earnings went up. Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar informed the Assembly that the new meters helped improve billing and collection. He said the rise in revenue shows that the system is working effectively in both divisions. Electricity Department’s Revenue Increased
According to government data, with the installation of smart meters, there has been a significant improvement in the billing efficiency of both divisions. In Jabalpur division, billing efficiency has increased from 73.77% to 82.16%, leading to a revenue increase of 314 crore. In Bhopal division, billing efficiency has increased from 76.86% to 81.57%, increasing revenue collection by 378 crore. Overall, through the smart metering system, the government has received an additional revenue of 692 crore from these two divisions. Current Status of Smart Meter Installation According to the division-wise progress report, the work of installing meters at non-agricultural consumers’ premises is progressing rapidly. In Jabalpur division, out of a total of 26.55 lakh consumers, approximately 50% (7.86 lakh) meters have been installed. In Jabalpur district, the highest 45% and in Narsinghpur 57% of the work has been completed. Whereas, in the Bhopal division, out of a total of 16.84 lakh consumers, 30% (5.09 lakh) smart meters have been installed. Jabalpur Division – Smart Meter Installation Status Pile of Complaints While revenue has increased on one hand, consumer complaints have also risen on the other. The department has mainly received complaints of fast readings and higher bills. In Jabalpur, a total of 55,822 complaints have been received from the year 2023 till now, out of which the department has resolved 55,736, while 86 complaints are still pending. In the Bhopal division, 2,102 complaints have been registered so far, out of which 2,062 have been resolved and 40 are pending. Why are smart meters being installed? The government has clarified that these meters are being installed under the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) 2019 notification and the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Supply Code-2021 guidelines. The main objective is transparent billing, accurate energy accounting, and reducing human intervention. According to the rules, all new connections are now being provided with pre-payment smart meters. Cost of meter replacement
Crores of rupees are also being spent on the process of replacing electronic meters with smart meters. According to data, an amount of 143.73 crore has been spent in Jabalpur division and 7.95 crore in Bhopal division on various works so far. Bhopal Division – Smart Meter Installation Status Around 56 thousand complaints in the Jabalpur division After the installation of smart meters in Pal and Jabalpur divisions, complaints mainly related to ‘high electricity bills’ and ‘fast meter readings’ have been registered. Looking at the complaint data, the number of complaints in the Jabalpur division has been quite high. Here, 6,099 complaints were received in the year 2023-24, which rapidly increased to 31,059 in the very next year, 2024-25. In the year 2025-26 (as of the date of the question), 18,664 complaints were also registered. Thus, a total of 55,822 complaints were received in the Jabalpur division, out of which the department has resolved 55,736, and only 86 complaints are pending. As for the Bhopal division, a total of 2,102 complaints were received here during the year 2025-26. Out of these, the department has resolved 2,062 complaints, and currently, 40 complaints are pending.