The Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) will engage the services of a specialized agency for surprise inspections of the smart meters being installed in the state. Experts from this agency will visit different areas to inspect these meters to ensure that consumers do not face any problems.
More than four lakh smart meters have already been installed in the state. In several areas, consumers are complaining about inflated electricity bills, for which UPCL has taken several steps. It has been ensured that the meters reaching Uttarakhand have been tested by NABL-accredited laboratories. Even after reaching Uttarakhand and before being installed at consumers’ homes, UPCL is getting these meters tested again by NABL-approved labs.
UPCL Managing Director Anil Kumar said that now, for the convenience of consumers, the services of a specialized agency will be utilized. This agency will visit different areas and inspect the smart meters installed at consumers’ homes. The inspection reports will be submitted to the UPCL headquarters. If any problems are found, UPCL will issue directives to the meter installation companies accordingly.
No charge for replacing burnt out or faulty meters
UPCL Managing Director Anil Kumar said that the rate of meters burning out or becoming faulty is negligible so far. However, this is being monitored. He said that if a consumer’s meter becomes faulty or burns out, no charge will be levied for replacing it. He also stated that the installation of smart meters across the state is being done completely free of charge.
Bills being generated for four lakh consumers in minutes
UPCL has also benefited from the installation of smart meters. Previously, bills that were generated over a month through manual meter readings are now being generated in minutes on the same day. Recently, UPCL generated bills for approximately 3.88 lakh consumers in a single day. These bills are being made available to them on their WhatsApp numbers, and they can be paid online or offline
