Himachal power board dispels fears of inflated bills among consumers

Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) has reiterated that smart meters are merely an accurate modern device for measuring electricity consumption. Therefore, those would have no impact on consumers’ electricity bills or tariffs.

The board’s spokesperson Anurag Prashar stated that in some cases, inflated bills are being generated due to human error during the replacement of old meters with new smart meters.

There is stiff resistance among consumers to electricity meters being replaced by smart meters, fearing inflated power bills, as has been seen in many cases in the recent past.

The board clarified that in most cases, the inflated bills are due to erroneous meter readings by meter readers or negligence in preparing electricity bills. “The HPSEBL has decided that if any electricity consumer finds some discrepancy in his meter, he can apply to the electricity sub-division concerned and get another electricity meter installed along with his smart meter on the basis of justification of his case,” he said.