Consumers inconvenienced as PSPCL tweaks meter software

Shashi Pal Jain

Kharar, August 10

Many residents are facing problem due to changes made by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in the meter reading machines recently. Around 3,000 electricity consumers out of the total 13,000 have been issued bills by the contractor without noting the present reading of their power meters. These consumers have been issued bills on an average basis.

Residents are much upset over the issue. Many of them are visiting the Powercom office in Kharar for correction in their bills. They are asked by clerks concerned to bring readings of their meters on their own.

Many people said they had not received electricity bills for the last four months. Now, they had to pay more as rates of electricity were increased recently, they added. They said due to lapse on the part of the Powercom they were facing financial losses.

According to information, the work of meter reading has been given on contract. New software has been designed to prevent manipulation in meter reading by the Electricity Department. The machines came on July 18 after which the work of meter reading began.

It was also found that the changes in the new software were not understood by operators as now meter reading was done by scanning.

The PSPCL SDO in Kharar, Bachiter Singh, said around 30 per cent meter reading was affected due to the delay in arrival of machines. He said the staff was working to solve problems faced by consumers.