By Tajdar H. Zaidi
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has made a major change in the rules for giving new electricity connections. From now on, only smart prepaid meters will be installed in new connections.
The order has been issued by UPPCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar, who stated that in areas where the installation of smart meters is currently going on, prepaid smart meters should also be used while replacing faulty meters or when a meter needs to be changed due to load increase.
However, he made it clear that this rule will not apply to agricultural consumers. For them, there will be no compulsion to install prepaid smart meters in new connections.
Meanwhile, UPPCL Chairman Dr. Ashish Goyal has given important instructions to officials regarding the installation of smart meters. He emphasized three key points:
- No extra charges for consumers: If old meters are being replaced with new smart meters, consumers should not be charged any money for it.
- Free replacement of faulty meters: When a faulty meter is replaced with a smart meter, no fees should be collected from the consumer.
- Charges for new connections only as per approved cost: In the case of new connections, the cost of installing a smart meter should be taken strictly as per the cost data book approved by the Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The Chairman also directed officials that if there are outstanding dues in a consumer’s smart meter account, the consumer must first be contacted and asked to clear the pending bill. This way, unnecessary disconnections can be avoided.
With this decision, UPPCL aims to ensure transparency in billing, reduce disputes, and promote the use of modern, efficient prepaid meters across the state.
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