Union Power Minister Manohar Lal clarified that prepaid smart meters are not mandatory for all consumers. Responding to supplementary questions during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha today, Mr. Lal stated that if consumers choose to switch to prepaid smart meters, it will benefit not only consumers but also the states and utility companies. He added that several states have already installed Smart Prepaid Meters.
The Minister also clarified that prepaid smart meters are not being imposed forcefully on any consumers, as it is an optional choice. He stated that wherever prepaid systems have been implemented, the losses of companies have been eliminated, and they have moved into profitability. The Minister informed that currently, the losses of power distribution companies have reached nearly seven lakh crore rupees. He said that prepaid smart meters are being introduced to ensure proper bill collection.