The New Indian Express ·
Smart meters set to transform domestic piped gas billing, safety
VIJAYAWADA: Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture PSU under the Ministry of Power, is set to give a major technology push to India’s City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector through large-scale deployment of Smart Domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) Meters.
With PNG connections expanding rapidly across urban and semi-urban areas, traditional manual meter reading and periodic billing systems could face growing challenges relating to accuracy, revenue assurance, safety monitoring, and customer service. Smart meters can address many of these challenges through automated and digitally connected systems.
For consumers, the new-generation meters can provide accurate billing, real-time consumption information, digital access to usage data and better control over energy expenditure. More importantly, advanced safety capabilities can enable remote monitoring, abnormal-condition detection, tamper alerts and automatic shut-off, helping minimise risks associated with gas leakage or consumption patterns.
As India moves towards a more gas-based and digitally enabled energy economy, Smart Domestic PNG Metering could become a critical infrastructure layer—combining consumer convenience, safety, cybersecurity, transparency, and energy efficiency while strengthening the resilience of the country’s expanding CGD network.