Karimnagar: A new system to ensure transparent billing is being introduced by the Electricity department here, by the orders of NTDCL CMD Varun Reddy. According to Karimnagar Circle Superintending Engineer Meka Ramesh Babu, the 'Automatic' Meter Reading (AMR) system has been designed to ensure speed and transparency in the delivery of bills to electricity consumers.

As part of this initiative, the AMR system is being set up on an experimental basis for industries that consume high-capacity electricity in the circle.

“The AMR system will help electricity consumers in avoiding manual billing problems,” said Ramesh Babu. “Meter readings in the high voltage (HT) category of electricity consumption are collected by an ADE level officer if the capacity is more than 55 HP and by an AE level officer if the capacity is less than 55 HP. Non-slab readings are collected by line inspectors and slab readers by private and junior linemen,” he said.

The Circle Superintending Engineer said that due to the new meter reading system will eliminate any scope for mistakes. Moreover, fluctuations in electricity supply can be detected quickly and it would ensure that the staff's time is not wasted.

Explaining its process, he said, “AMR means smart meter system. It is a device that measures electricity consumption. A 4G communication SIM is inserted in the meter. With this, the recorded data reaches the central server in Hanumakonda without any human intervention. Accurate billing is completed within 30 days without any staff cost.”