Monday Aug 31, 2026
Monday Aug 31, 2026
Monday, 31 August 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Cabinet Spokesman and Minister
Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a $ 12.5 million smart-meter rollout aimed at modernising the country’s electricity distribution network and introducing Time-of-Use (TOU) billing, using the remaining proceeds of a $ 15 million Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan.
Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the project will see 300,000 smart meters installed over a two-year period by Electricity Distribution Lanka Ltd., as part of the country’s broader smart-grid modernisation program.
On 21 October 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers originally approved the $ 15 million ADB facility, as financing for complementary projects to strengthen Sri Lanka’s renewable energy programme. Thereafter, the Cabinet meeting held on 3 September 2025 approved the use of $ 2.5 million from the loan to prepare the detailed design and procurement documents for the Maha Oya Pumped Storage Power Plant Development Project.
This led to the proposal to implement a project to install 300,000 smart-meters with a TOU billing system as part of the core program for modernising the country’s smart grids, utilising the remaining $ 12.5 million.
The two-year implementation period will make the scale of deployment a key test, with the initiative requiring the installation of an average of about 150,000 smart meters a year.
The move creates the potential to encourage electricity users to shift discretionary use away from peak periods, reducing pressure on the grid and improving utilisation of available generation capacity.
The project also fits in with the Government’s wider push to integrate renewable energy into the national grid.
