- Modern, accurate, and theft-proof smart meters were installed in Uzbekistan with ADB’s support to promote energy efficiency and help improve the country’s power sector.
- Smart meters accurately measure and display power usage. Here’s how they helped transform the way people consume electricity in Uzbekistan.
- In Uzbekistan, the installation of smart meters with ADB’s support significantly improved the financial position of the country’s power utility.
With ADB’s support, 1.4 million pre-paid smart meters were installed in 3 regions in Uzbekistan, and a data center to process the information from the smart meters was built in the capital city Tashkent.
Smart meters promote energy efficiency. They accurately measure power usage and provide real-time information to the power utility and consumers. Billing is automated and consumers pre-pay for the electricity they plan to use. Consumers can see their power consumption through the smart meter display, incentivizing them to adapt their habits to fit their budget.
The use of smart meters significantly reduced the local electric utility’s commercial losses and improved its financial position, helping it invest in further reducing transmission and distribution losses. This helps save energy, and means fewer carbon emissions for Uzbekistan which is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Transcript
This little device is helping transform the way people consume electricity.
It’s a smart meter that accurately measures and displays power usage.
The smart metering system helps the electric utility provide better service to customers
And its impact is clear in Uzbekistan.
A country of around 35 million people, Uzbekistan is almost fully electrified.
But for a long time, power usage was measured through electromechanical meters made as early as the 1960s.
These deteriorating meters were unreliable and easy to tamper with.
Personnel from the electric utility had to visit each home to read meters, and they often got inaccurate readings.
With ADB’s help, 1.4 million pre-paid smart meters were installed in 3 regions in Uzbekistan and a data center to process the information from the smart meters was built in the capital city Tashkent.
Following the success of ADB’s project, the government is now connecting all households and low-voltage consumers in remaining regions to smart metering.
Ilkhom Shodimetov
Head of Automated Systems of Commercial Account of electric power (ASCA) implementation group
Regional Electrical Power Networks
“The benefits of these smart meters and the data center were evident after the adoption of this system in Uzbekistan. We can get correct data. Due to the billing system, consumers can pay for their electricity online and the payment process takes 10-15 seconds. And nowadays we are free of debt.”
But how does it work?
Smart meters accurately measure power usage and provide real-time information to the power utility and consumers.
Billing is automated and consumers pre-pay for the electricity they plan to use.
Consumers can see their power consumption through the smart meter display, incentivizing them to adapt their habits to fit their budget.
Minavvar Umarova
Resident of Jizzakh
Uzbekistan
“We pre-pay so we have a set budget for electricity every month. If our balance is running low, we receive an SMS to remind us. Because of this we’ve become more conscious about the energy use. We use energy efficient appliances and turn them off when not in use.”
With smart meters in place, over 6,500 personnel who used to read the old meters now do maintenance and other tasks that improve services.
Energy use is now properly accounted for, significantly reducing the electric utility’s commercial losses and improving its financial position
And helping it invest in further reducing transmission and distribution losses.
This helps save energy, and means fewer carbon emissions for Uzbekistan which is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Cindy Malvicini
Country Director
Asian Development Bank
“Improving the efficiency of Uzbekistan's electricity system is crucial for helping the country meet its carbon commitments under the Paris Agreement. We are delighted to support the widespread use of these modern, accurate, and theft-proof meters that help promote electricity saving.”
370,000 smart meters are also being installed in seven cities in Tajikistan with ADB’s support, further helping to improve the region’s power sector and promote energy efficiency.
