Smart meters won’t affect free power subsidy or increase bills
7.5 lakh such meters already installed in state, says electricity board spokesman
A spokesperson for Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) on Wednesday said that the installation of smart electricity meters in the state would not affect the provision of subsidy, i.e. free electricity up to 125 units, nor would it lead to an increase in bills.
The spokesperson said that 7.5 lakh smart meters had already been installed in the state. “A smart meter is only a device for measuring electricity consumption, just like a conventional meter and it does not change the tariff rates or billing policies in any manner,” he added.
He said that the ongoing opposition and misleading narratives on social media were the result of the lack of correct information, where facts were being misrepresented and unnecessarily distorted. He added that in the old meters, sometimes the bills were given on average readings on a monthly basis, even if the consumers were not using electricity, but in smart meters the actual consumption could be verified on the actual usage and no average bills would come regularly if a consumer was not using electricity.
The spokesperson said, “In smart meters, the consumption data is automatically transmitted to a central data centre. This system is being introduced solely to provide better online services, accurate billing and improved convenience to electricity consumers,” he added.
He said that orders had also been issued allowing consumers to install a second smart meter alongside the existing one if they suspect any inaccuracies. “This setup enables consumers to monitor their electricity consumption at 15-minute intervals. If a discrepancy is found, they can reach out to their respective electricity subdivision office,” he added.
