EMRC to replace all electric meters with smart ones by 2025

AMMAN — The Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) will replace all electric meters with smart ones by 2025, a move, experts said, will have positive economic and environmental impacts.

EMRC said that it had directed the electricity distribution companies to implement the smart meter project, which aims to improve the reliability and efficiency of the electricity sector and reduce electrical losses and thefts.

According to EMRC, smart meters are the digital next generation of meters as they provide an automated system from reading to billing, the ability to monitor and control the meters remotely, and the opportunity for the consumers to track their consumption in real-time and adjust it according to their needs and preferences.

Ziad Saaida, the chairman of the board of commissioners of EMRC, said that the project is part of Jordan’s Economic Modernisation vision to modernise its energy network infrastructure and shift towards more sustainable and rational use of energy.

Saaida added that the project has already started in some areas, such as Madaba, which became the first smart city with electric reading in the Kingdom.

He also said that the total number of smart meters installed among all subscribers in various sectors until the end of 2023 exceeded 900,000 meters, representing approximately 37 per cent of the total electricity meters used in the Kingdom, which numbered 2,444,113 meters.

Economist Wajdi Makhamreh said that the smart meter project will solve many problems that the electricity sector faces, such as high indebtedness, low efficiency, and high costs of electrical thefts, which are estimated at tens of millions annually.

He said that the smart meters will also enhance the quality and stability of the electrical supply, and reduce the breakdowns and outages that affect the productivity and performance of many sectors and industries.

Economist Hosam Ayesh said that the smart meter project will also have a positive effect on the consumers, as it will give them more responsibility and awareness of their electricity consumption, and encourage them to adopt more energy-saving behaviours and practices.

He also said that the smart meters will allow the consumers to benefit from different tariff schemes and incentives, such as peak and off-peak pricing, pre-paid and post-paid options, and renewable energy integration.