VINLEC launches Smart Meter Project

Approximately 50,000 Vincentian electricity consumers will receive improved services from the St Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) over the next 18 months, as existing electricity meters will be replaced with smart meters equipped with Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology.

VINLEC officially launched its Smart Meter Project on Monday, August 11, 2025 “marking a significant step towards modernising electricity service and delivering even better service to all customers”.

The roll out will happen over the next 18 months.

“The installation of smart meters will provide many benefits, some of which will help VINLEC to improve its efficiency immediately and incrementally improve our customer service over time,” Ricky Wright, VINLEC’s Manager, Engineering said at the launch of the project at Methodist Church Hall, Kingstown.

In the first phase, the new smart meters will facilitate faster data collection, and ensure consistent billing periods. In the future, the implementation of AMI will facilitate faster outage management. Customers will also have access to real-time consumption information and additional services like prepaid metering.

“As we begin this meter change-out process, we want to assure all customers that it has been designed to be as seamless and minimally disruptive as possible,” the Manager, Engineering assured.

The meter replacement process will begin in central and northern communities of St Vincent, along with the Grenadines. Wright said it is a milestone in VINLEC’s journey to improve their operations, enhance efficiencies and improve customer services.

“Currently, we use many different meters to measure the energy consumed by our customers and energies that customers sell us in VINLEC,” he pointed out.

He explained that these meters have served VINLEC for decades, and although they have been very reliable, VINLEC is at the stage where it must modernise and change out old technology.

“Over the last few decades…or so, we would’ve kept abreast of the technology and change with the times,” he said, adding that this launch is another step in that journey.

Wright pointed out that VINLEC has 50,000…

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