How to read a smart prepaid electricity meter
Smart meters under the national smart-meter scheme show your balance and your units. The national specification sets the screens, so most smart meters show them in a similar order.
- Balance screens first
- Then cumulative kWh
- From the CEA specification
The screens, in the national order
Seven of the twelve screens in the national order, drawn by us. The balance screens come before the kWh reading.
How to read it
- Wait. Each screen stays about 10 seconds.
- Pass the recharge and balance screens. They show rupees, not units.
- Read the screen marked kWh. That is your cumulative reading.
- Use the button or touch key to step through the screens. The meter goes back to the automatic order after 10 seconds.
What the specifications set
| Discom specification | Screens that change by themselves | The kWh screen |
|---|---|---|
| CEA smart-meter specification (2020) | Display check, date and time, last recharge amount and time, current balance amount and time, kWh, this month’s maximum demand, voltage, current, load, power factor | Cumulative kWh "with legend". 10 seconds a screen. |
| National smart-meter bidding document (MSEDCL copy) | The same list. It shows the days of balance left instead of the balance time. | Cumulative kWh with legend. |
| WBSEDCL smart meter | LCD test, serial number, time, date, credit balance in rupees, present load cost, kWh, kVArh lag and lead | Cumulative kWh. |
Each document lets the discom change the order. Press-button screens also include the serial number and last month’s kWh and maximum demand.
Balance and supply messages
- Low or no balance. The meter warns you 2 or 3 times, on the meter or by SMS, before it cuts supply. (REC booklet)
- Supply cut for no balance. The meter keeps power and shows a low or no balance message. (REC FAQ)
- Relay sign. A "disconnected" sign or LED shows that the meter cut the supply. A "connected" sign shows it again after a recharge. (TPCODL booklet; Puducherry FAQ)
Screens that are not your reading
| Screen | What it is |
|---|---|
| kVAh | Apparent energy. It is usually a little larger than kWh. Homes are mostly billed on kWh. |
| MD or MD kW | Maximum demand: the highest load in the month, in kW. It has decimals and is small, for example 1.24. |
| kW (load) | The load at this moment. It changes while you watch. |
| V, A, PF | Voltage, current and power factor. These are live values, not readings. |
| kWh with decimals | The high-resolution kWh screen for testing. Use the whole-number kWh screen for your bill. |
| Last month kWh, or a history screen | The reading at an earlier billing date. Many meters keep 6 or 12 months. |
| kWh for a time zone (ToD) | Energy in one part of the day only. Some meters show several time zones. |
| Date, time, serial number | These screens have no units. The serial number can look like a reading. |
The lights on the meter
- Phase (green). The meter has supply. (source)
- CAL, or the imp/kWh LED. It blinks with your load. The number beside it, for example 3200 imp/kWh, gives the blinks for one unit. (source)
- EL or ELT. Earth leakage: unequal current in the phase and neutral wires. Do not ignore it. Ask an electrician to check the wiring. (source)
- REV. Reverse flow of energy, from the home to the grid. On a meter without solar, tell your discom. (source)
- N cut. On some meters: a loose wire at the meter end. (source)
What the makers say
| Maker and model | What the maker states |
|---|---|
| Secure Liberty 200 | A capacitive touch keypad changes the screen. The meter shows your balance and use in rupees, even without the network. The LCD shows the communication status. |
| Lauritz Knudsen (formerly L&T) Aurora | An 8-digit backlit LCD with auto scroll, a push button and a high-resolution mode. The LCD shows the relay and tamper status. Prepaid is optional. |
| HPL keypad prepaid meter | The first automatic screen is cumulative kWh, then kVAh, then the credit balance. A numeric keypad takes recharge tokens. A two-colour LED and a buzzer warn of low credit. |
| Genus SAKSHAM-145 | Genus says the LCD stays readable during a power cut on battery. Its site lists no screen order. |
Questions
Where is the reading on a smart meter?
The screen marked kWh, after the balance screens. In the national specification it is the seventh screen.
How do I check my balance on the smart meter?
Watch for the current balance screen, in rupees. REC’s FAQ says you can check the balance on the meter display.
My smart meter cut the supply. Does the display still work?
Yes. REC’s FAQ says the meter keeps supply and shows a low or no balance message.
Sources
- CEA, Technical Specification of Smart Meters, 1-Ph and 3-Ph (Feb 2020), display parameters
- MSEDCL RFP MMD/T-NSC-07/1121 (national smart-meter bidding document), Section 6, single-phase smart meter
- WBSEDCL, Technical Specification for single-phase prepaid and postpaid smart meters
- REC Ltd, FAQs: Smart Meters (RDSS)
- MoP / REC, Smart Meter FAQ booklet (revised 27-10-2021)
- TP Central Odisha, Customer Booklet: Smart Meter
- Electricity Department Puducherry, Smart Meter FAQs
- Tata Power-DDL, Customer Handbook FY26, pages 4-5
- Secure Meters, Liberty 200 smart prepayment meter brochure
- Lauritz Knudsen (formerly L&T) metering catalogue: EM101+, Aurora, ER300P
- HPL, prepaid energy meter catalogue (Jan 2023)
- Genus, SAKSHAM-145 single-phase smart meter page
Read on 16 October 2026. The specifications do not define the shape of the icons or the "legend", so our drawings stay generic.
The drawings are ours. They show the kind of screen, not a real meter. Your discom can change the order of the screens, so your meter can differ. Brand names only tell you which meter a fact applies to; ebbillcalc is not part of any maker or discom.