Uttar Pradesh government scraps smart prepaid meter system; shifts all consumers to postpaid mode

“Uttar Pradesh government has decided to discontinue the smart prepaid electricity meter system across the state and convert the currently installed devices to postpaid with immediate effect,” Energy Minister AK Sharma said on Friday, May 8, 2026. he said.

The move comes amid growing protests in many districts over allegations of over-billing and irregularities linked to smart prepaid meters installed under the Renewed Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

According to the official statement, the decision was taken in line with the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, keeping in mind the convenience and complaints of consumers.

Within the scope of the new regulation, electricity bills will be given to consumers after consumption, and invoices for electricity used in May 2026 will be issued within the scope of the postpaid system in June.

Mr. Sharma said official orders have been issued to implement the new system in Purvanchal, Madhyanchal, Dakshinanchal and Pashchimanchal power distribution companies as well as KESCO in Kanpur.

“Prioritizing the convenience of electricity consumers, the government of Uttar Pradesh has decided to discontinue the smart prepaid meter system operating in the State and switch all smart meters to postpaid mode,” the Minister said. he said.

He said that postpaid invoices will be issued on the 10th of each month and consumers will receive billing information via SMS and WhatsApp.

The Minister said that in regions where automatic readings cannot be taken due to communication or network problems, manual readings will be taken through Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Provider (AMISP) institutions to ensure timely billing.

The government also announced that all new electricity connections in the state will now be issued only in smart postpaid mode.

According to the statement, it is envisaged that the deposit amount previously set in the prepaid system will be collected in four equal monthly installments in accordance with the provisions of the Electricity Supply Law-2005 and Cost Data Book-2026.

Domestic consumers who are waiting for their electricity debt until April 30, 2026 will be able to pay in 10 installments, while consumers in other categories will be able to pay in three installments of 40 percent, 30 percent and 30 percent respectively.

The Minister said that, in accordance with previous regulations, postpaid consumers will continue to be given a 15-day payment period from the date of invoice issuance, followed by a 7-day outage notification period.

“To address consumer complaints, special grievance redressal camps and help centers will be set up in the offices of executive engineers and sub-divisional officers from May 15 to June 30, while additional arrangements will also be made through the 1912 helpline,” the statement said.

Central Electricity Regulatory Commission Advisory Committee member and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad chief Avadhesh Kumar Verma welcomed the decision but said it should have been taken much earlier.

Mr. Verma told PTI He said the Center had issued rules and made a statement on the issue on April 1, 2026, but despite repeated objections from consumer groups, the installation of prepaid smart meters continued in Uttar Pradesh.

He claimed that the state government took this decision only after being questioned by the central regulator as to why penalty should not be imposed if the prepaid system was continued.

“Around 83 lakh families in the state had smart prepaid meters installed in their homes and they faced difficulties for a long time while people like us fought legal battles over this issue,” Mr. Verma said.

Citing figures from the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, he claimed that around 85 lakh smart meters have been installed in the State, of which around 83 lakh are prepaid.

He also said that consumers have the legal option to choose to install prepaid or postpaid meters on their premises and cited provisions in State and Central electricity laws to support his claim.

Over the past few months, there have been protests against smart prepaid meters from various districts of Uttar Pradesh, with consumers in some places allegedly removing the meters from their homes and throwing them outside collection centres, on roads and at public junctions, to express their anger over irregularities in the allegedly bloated billing and payment systems.

The state government had earlier assured consumers that necessary action would be taken after considering the complaints.

It was published – 08 May 2026 17:07 IST