Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2015-11-05

Introduction of Locally Manufactured Smart Meters to the Energy Sector in Sri Lanka

- During the recent past, the Energy Sector in Sri Lanka has gained an enormous advance and by now action has been taken to provide almost 100% electricity coverage by providing an uninterrupted electricity supply throughout the Island for the entire 24 hours. The Global Electricity Technology is being modernized daily and immense advantages could be gained to the national economy by making the generation, distribution and consumption of power more efficient through the adoption of advanced technological methods. In this regard, the introduction of Smart Electric Meters to the local Energy Sector is an essential priority. The use of Smart Electric Meters helps for the better management of electricity demand and at the same time it provides services such as making the consumers aware of the voluntarily control of electricity consumption and regulating the operation of machines with remote air conditioners. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, to commence a project to manufacture and develop Smart Electric Meters required for the domestic market, at a cost of Rs.49.2 million, as a joint project of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the University of Peradeniya, was approved by the Cabinet.