The National Electricity Administration (ANDE) is modernizing its meter fleet, with three tenders under evaluation and award totaling more than 159,000 units. Simultaneously, the state-owned company is studying the technical and financial feasibility of acquiring up to 1 million smart meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology, as confirmed by commercial manager Hugo Rolón.
The ongoing tenders cover different segments. Tender 467714 provides for the purchase of 516 high-precision multifunction digital meters to monitor 500 kV, 220 kV, and 66 kV transmission lines, as well as strategic substations. These devices, financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), are essential for the High-Voltage Transmission System Expansion Project.
For residential and commercial consumption, Tender 477718 seeks to acquire 110,000 single-phase meters and 48,500 three-phase direct-connection meters, totaling 158,500 units. Tender 477920 is aimed at the industrial segment, with 1,000 indirect-connection meters for large customers with their own transformers.
Currently, ANDE has 1,866,827 installed meters, of which only 50,000 have conventional remote reading and 4,850 are AMI smart meters, in a pilot phase in the Villa Morra neighborhood of Asunción. The rest rely on in-person readings, performed by 400 employees who average 206 readings per day each.
ANDE President Félix Sosa attributed overbilling complaints to the seasonal increase in consumption during summer. However, the head of the Commercial Division, Ever Colmán, admitted that in March there were failures in in-person reading, generating artificially low bills that turned into high amounts the following month.
Rolón highlighted that the structural solution is the gradual migration to smart meters, which allow real-time bidirectional monitoring, reduction of commercial losses, and elimination of consumption estimates. The estimated cost per AMI meter is US$ 200, with annual maintenance of 20% for software licensing and technical support.
While the purchase of 1 million smart meters still depends on studies and institutional approvals, the ongoing tenders are expected to cover network growth, customer regularization, and replacement of equipment damaged by adverse weather conditions.