Omsk launches smart meters to combat power theft and modernize billing

Omsk is rolling out a new Automated Commercial Electricity Metering System (AC EMS) to tackle power theft and improve billing. The technology allows remote disconnections for customers who fail to pay on time. Local energy provider OmskElectro has been expanding the system since 2015. The project began in 2015, with OmskElectro steadily installing the AC EMS across the city. Funding peaked between 2019 and 2020, when hundreds of millions of rubles were allocated each year. Initially, contracts focused on residential buildings, but the latest 2026 tender no longer specifies this detail.

Omsk’s own factories produce smart meters compatible with the AC EMS. One local manufacturer, MIR Research and Production Association, supplies the devices. In 2019, another Omsk-based company, Popov Radio Plant (Relero), even patented a gas meter with remote monitoring features.

The newest phase of the AC EMS deployment will cost 54 million rubles (around $600,000). Installations will mainly take place in the Kirovsky administrative district. However, the system will also extend to the Southern, Northern, and Left-Bank districts of Omsk’s electrical grid. The AC EMS will give OmskElectro tighter control over electricity usage and payments. Remote disconnection capabilities aim to reduce theft and unpaid bills. With local production of smart meters, the city’s energy infrastructure continues to modernise.