Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has invited a fresh tender to install 1.77 crore smart meters across electricity connections in municipal corporation areas, while also planning smart meters for 4.72 lakh transformers to improve measurement of electricity flows across the state.
The tender, invited on October 7 according to a report by Dinamalar, covers homes, shops and other electricity connections currently fitted with static meters. Smart meters are designed to record electricity consumption remotely, reducing the need for on-site meter reading.
The new procurement follows a series of earlier tender attempts that did not reach implementation. In August 2023, the Electricity Board invited bids to select a contractor for installing 3 crore smart meters. That tender was later cancelled after participating companies quoted higher prices, the report said.
A subsequent tender was issued for procuring 3.03 crore smart meters, attracting participation from 50 companies. That tender was cancelled last month after a change in government, according to the report. The latest tender has now reduced the planned coverage to 1.77 crore connections and focuses on connections in all municipal corporations across Tamil Nadu.
The project also includes the installation of smart meters on 4.72 lakh transformers. Transformer-level metering is intended to provide more precise information on electricity moving through individual distribution routes. This would give the Electricity Board a detailed view of consumption and distribution across its network, although the supplied report does not specify the total project cost or the expected installation schedule.
Under the tender conditions, the selected contractor will be responsible not only for installing the smart meters but also for maintaining them for 93 months. The long-term maintenance requirement places responsibility for operational upkeep with the appointed contractor during the specified contract period.
Tamil Nadu’s repeated tendering process shows that the transition from static to remotely read meters is being pursued through a large, state-wide procurement programme, but the earlier cancellations have delayed implementation. The latest tender is the next formal step; the report does not state when the contract will be awarded or when installation will begin.
