APSPDCL launches prepaid smart metering for govt electricity services

Tirupati: The Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) has officially transitioned government electricity services to a prepaid smart-metering system.Effective from June 1, the new policy covers government offices, educational institutions, municipal corporations, public water works, and street lights across the districts of Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamayya, Kadapa, Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur, and Sri Sathya Sai. This initiative aims to enhance financial transparency, eliminate chronic payment arrears from public departments, and strengthen the power distribution company’s capacity to purchase electricity.To initiate the rollout, the corporation has utilised e-wallets to pre-charge 34,496 specific government services with a combined total of approximately Rs 15 crore.Tirupati district received the highest allocation with Rs 2.29 crore across 4,942 services, followed closely by Kadapa district with Rs 1.98 crore for 4,520 services.Other regional allocations include Rs 1.68 crore for Annamayya, Rs 1.63 crore each for Chittoor and Kurnool, Rs 1.54 crore for Nandyal, Rs 1.41 crore for Anantapur, Rs 1.19 crore for Nellore, and Rs 88.81 lakh for Sri Sathya Sai.Moving forward, individual government departments will be required to pay both their fixed charges and variable electricity costs in advance at the start of each billing cycle.APSPDCL chairman and managing director Sivasankar Lotheti emphasised that the new system operates on a strict rule where power supply is directly tied to available funds. Daily electricity consumption costs will be automatically deducted from each department’s digital balance.Automated alerts via text message and email will be sent to the responsible authorities as soon as their balance drops below a designated minimum threshold. If the prepaid account balance reaches zero, the power supply will be automatically disconnected.The corporation expects that this immediate feedback loop will increase financial accountability among public sector consumers and encourage better energy conservation habits, with plans already underway to expand the prepaid framework to all remaining government services in the region through a phased implementation.