Smart meter sparks shock as kiosk owner in Himachal's Bagga village gets Rs 82K bill
What was meant to modernise electricity billing has instead left a 75-year-old kiosk owner in Jawali subdivision reeling from shock.
Ranjeet Singh, an underprivileged resident of Bagga village, received a postpaid electricity bill of Rs 82,059 on his mobile phone on February 5, barely weeks after a smart meter replaced the electronic meter at his shed-type roadside kiosk. Until recently, Singh said, his monthly bills rarely crossed Rs 300.
The smart meter installed at Ranjeet Singh’s roadside kiosk in Bagga village.
The staggering bill, issued by the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd, quickly went viral on social media, fuelling anger among consumers already protesting against the rollout of smart meters in the region.
Showing copies of the bill, Singh said his January bill under the same consumer ID amounted to Rs 219, dated January 16, which he paid the very next day. “I have never defaulted. My kiosk uses minimal electricity. How can it jump from Rs 200 to over Rs 82,000?” he asked, visibly distressed.
The last date for payment of the new bill is February 26. Singh said the unexpected demand has caused severe anxiety in his family. He has demanded that the smart meter be removed immediately and replaced with the earlier electronic meter, which he considers reliable.
Local representatives have joined the chorus of concern. Yogesh Kumar, up-pradhan of Bagga gram panchayat, said the incident validates the apprehensions raised by residents during protests last month. He alleged that meters were installed hastily without adequate public awareness or clarification of doubts. Residents had submitted objections at the office of the Junior Engineer under the electrical sub-division at Kotla on January 22, he added. Villagers also pointed out that a consumer in Kotla town had earlier received a similarly inflated bill of nearly Rs 95,000 after smart meter installation.
When contacted, Kundan Singh, Assistant Engineer at the Electrical Sub-Division, Kotla, said an inquiry would be conducted. He suggested the bill appeared to be the result of human error and assured that corrective steps would be taken if required.
Meanwhile, the episode has intensified mistrust among consumers, many of whom fear that tech upgrades are being implemented without adequate safeguards.
