JAMMU: State-run REC Ltd and Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd have tied up with J-PAL South Asia to test the impact of smart meters on improving consumer payments and electricity delivery in Jammu.
REC Ltd, JPDCL and J-PAL South Asia will collaborate to leverage existing administrative data for exploring ways to reduce electricity theft and faulty billing.
According to a statement, REC Ltd and Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (JPDCL) have partnered with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia to test the impact of smart meters on improving consumer payments and electricity delivery in Jammu.
The insights gleaned from this analysis will inform the randomised evaluations led by professors who are a part of J-PAL’s global network to evaluate the impact of smart meters on improving billing accuracy and on other features such as remote disconnections, prepaid metering, and online billing.
This partnership builds on a data sharing agreement signed between J-PAL South Asia and REC Limited in September 2021 to create an annual, data-based assessment of 79 public and private power distribution companies (DISCOMS) across the country for improving electricity access, the statement said.
The agreement was signed by R K Gupta, Chief General Manager – REC Limited with Shiv Tayal (IAS), Managing Director – JPDCL and Shobhini Mukerji, Executive Director – J-PAL South Asia.
J-PAL South Asia will also conduct scoping studies to evaluate the effectiveness of innovative solutions targeted towards energy accounting and other reforms designed to improve power supply and reduce revenue losses.
