U.P. Minister: prepaid smart meters tobe discontinued with immediate effect

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to discontinue the smart prepaid electricity meter system across the State and convert the already-installed devices to postpaid with immediate effect, Energy Minister A.K. Sharma said on Friday.

The move comes amid growing protests in several districts over alleged excess billing and irregularities linked to smart prepaid meters installed under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

“Consumers will receive bills after electricity consumption. The bill for electricity consumed in May 2026 will be issued in June 2026 under the postpaid system,” said an official statement.

Mr. Sharma said, “Prioritising the convenience of electricity consumers, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to discontinue the smart prepaid meter system operating in the State and shift all smart meters to postpaid mode. Formal orders have already been issued. The new arrangement, which will be implemented in Purvanchal, Madhyanchal, Dakshinanchal, and Pashchimanchal electricity distribution corporations as well as KESCO Kanpur, is expected to provide major relief to consumers.”

He said postpaid bills would be issued by the 10th of every month and consumers will receive billing information through SMS and WhatsApp.

“In areas where automatic smart meter readings cannot be obtained due to network or communication issues, manual readings will be taken through AMISP agencies to ensure timely billing,” the statement added.

The Minister added that all new electricity connections in the State will be issued only in smart postpaid mode. “The security deposit amount that had earlier been adjusted under the prepaid system will now be recovered in four equal monthly instalments in accordance with provisions of the Electricity Supply Code-2005 and Cost Data Book-2026.,” said the statement.

The government also announced that special camps and assistance centres will be set up at the offices of executive engineer and sub-divisional officer from May 15 to June 30 for the resolution of complaints related to smart meters and electricity bills. In addition, special arrangements are also being made through the 1912 helpline to ensure prompt resolution of consumer grievances.