Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 7: The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the large-scale deployment of smart domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) meters across India’s City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector.
The agreement, signed by PNGRB Secretary Anjan Kumar Mishra and EESL CEO Akhilesh Kumar Dixit, seeks to create a structured ecosystem for demand aggregation, standardisation and wider adoption of smart PNG metering by bringing together CGD entities, technology providers, manufacturers, system integrators and other stakeholders.
Under the partnership, PNGRB will provide regulatory and sectoral support by sharing information related to standards, certification requirements, regulatory developments, conformity assessment and inspection of smart domestic PNG meters. It will also facilitate consultations and coordination among stakeholders and support the development of a standardised framework for deployment across the CGD network.
EESL will undertake demand aggregation for domestic PNG smart meters and use its technical expertise and industry network to coordinate with CGD companies and other participants in the smart-metering ecosystem. It will also conduct market assessments and technical evaluations and explore competitive procurement, price discovery and suitable models for the supply, installation, operation and maintenance of the meters.
EESL has experience in large-scale smart-metering projects and has implemented more than 44.5 lakh smart meters across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is also responsible for their operation and maintenance for periods of eight to 10 years.
The initiative comes at a time when PNG connections are expanding rapidly across urban and semi-urban areas. Traditional systems involving manual meter reading and periodic billing could face increasing challenges relating to accuracy, revenue assurance, safety monitoring and customer service as the network expands.
Smart PNG meters are expected to address several of these concerns through automated and digitally connected systems. For consumers, the technology can provide more accurate billing, real-time information on gas consumption and digital access to usage data, allowing households to monitor and better manage their energy expenditure.
The new-generation meters are also expected to strengthen safety. Advanced systems can support remote monitoring, detection of abnormal consumption or operating conditions, tamper alerts and remote operations, including automatic shut-off in appropriate circumstances. These features could help reduce risks associated with gas leaks, tampering and unusual consumption patterns.
Energy efficiency expert and former Bureau of Energy Efficiency Director General Ajay Mathur welcomed the PNGRB-EESL partnership, describing it as an important step towards creating a consumer-centric, technology-enabled and future-ready CGD ecosystem. He said smart PNG metering could contribute not only to energy efficiency and transparency but also to energy security and cybersecurity.
The collaboration is expected to promote standardisation, interoperability and innovation while making smart-meter deployment more coordinated and efficient across the CGD sector. It could also help establish common approaches to procurement, technology assessment and implementation as more households shift to piped natural gas.
The move is part of a broader effort to make India’s gas infrastructure more digitally enabled and consumer-focused. With the country seeking to expand the role of natural gas in its energy mix, smart domestic PNG metering could become an important infrastructure layer by combining accurate billing, consumer convenience, safety monitoring, transparency, cybersecurity and energy efficiency.
The PNGRB had already been working on a roadmap for implementation of smart domestic PNG metering across India, with discussions with EESL focusing on demand aggregation and wider adoption. The latest MoU provides a framework to move from planning towards coordinated, large-scale implementation.