Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Sri Lanka often speaks proudly of being a rapidly developing nation with digital capabilities and highly skilled IT professionals. Yet, in many basic public utility services we still operate in a manner that belongs to the past century. A simple example is the way electricity and water meters are read.

In many developed countries, and even in several developing nations, utility providers have already moved to smart metering systems. These systems use digital meters connected to communication networks that automatically transmit consumption data to a centralized billing center. Bills are generated electronically, and customers receive them through email or mobile applications.

In the United Kingdom, customers served by companies such as British Gas or EDF Energy receive monthly statements based on remote meter readings. The amount due is automatically deducted through the banking Direct Debit system, ensuring efficiency and transparency. Customers can also monitor their consumption daily through mobile apps.

Similarly, water utilities in many countries have adopted remote meter reading technologies. Meter readers no longer need to walk long distances or knock on household doors to obtain readings. Instead, the data is transmitted wirelessly to the utility provider’s database.

In contrast, Sri Lanka still largely relies on manual meter readers from the Ceylon Electricity Board and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. These employees walk from house to house, sometimes covering miles under the sun. When residents are not at home, when a gate is locked, or when a dog is roaming freely in the garden, the reading may not even be taken. The result is estimated bills, delays, and inconvenience for both the customer and the utility provider.

In my own case, the water meter had to be installed through an opening in the boundary wall simply to make access easier for the meter reader. Yet the process still depends entirely on a person walking long distances and manually recording figures. This method is inefficient, costly, and outdated.

Ironically, many Sri Lankan households today operate sophisticated renewable energy systems. My own solar power installation uses a lithium battery system and digital inverter technology that allows me to monitor electricity generation and consumption daily, monthly, and yearly through a mobile application. I can see exactly how many units my rooftop solar panels export to the grid and how many units I import.

For example, if my solar system exports around 600 units to the national grid and I import approximately the same amount, the net electricity bill becomes almost zero under the current net-metering scheme administered by the Ceylon Electricity Board.

If individual homeowners can access such accurate real-time information through their mobile phones, it raises an important question: why cannot the national utilities do the same?

Smart meters would allow Sri Lanka to introduce more efficient electricity pricing systems, such as:

• Time-of-use tariffs (lower rates at night, higher rates during peak hours)
• Real-time energy monitoring for consumers
• Automatic billing and payment systems
• Reduced operational costs for utilities

These systems would also help manage national energy demand. Consumers could shift heavy electricity usage—such as charging electric vehicles or running large appliances—to off-peak hours, reducing strain on the national grid.

Sri Lanka has excellent IT professionals and software developers. The success of digital platforms such as the fuel QR system demonstrated that the country has the technical capability to deploy large-scale digital solutions quickly when required.

What is needed now is not technology, but policy vision and administrative courage.

If Sri Lanka truly wishes to modernize its infrastructure and move toward a smart energy economy, introducing nationwide smart electricity and water meters would be a logical and necessary step.

Until then, we will continue to speak of digital transformation while meter readers walk miles under the sun, knocking on doors and occasionally retreating when confronted by a barking dog.

That is not the image of a modern nation.

It is time for Sri Lanka to move from manual meters to smart utilities for a smart country.

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera