What is in a Meter? Working Towards Efficient, Socially Inclusive and Environmentally Sensitive Energy and Water Infrastructures in the Global South

Meters are gateway technologies that control access to services, such as clean drinking water and electricity, that are basic requirements for health and well-being. Metering of consumption is essential to the efficient operation and planning of electricity and water networks. However, it is often lacking or not fit for purpose in the Global South, leading national and international agencies and governments to encourage the introduction of ‘smarter’, more comprehensive metering in the water and electricity sectors. Using Greater Mumbai in India as a case study, this project investigates how the access to key essential services (electricity, clean drinking water and sanitation) is being re-configured within metering technologies currently planned for and implemented in the rapidly growing cities of the Global South. The goal is to inform the implementation and use of metering in ways that engender social inclusion, environmentally sensitive consumption patterns and reduce health inequalities