Lucknow, April 20: The Uttar Pradesh government, under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, is actively working to enhance the convenience of electricity consumers and swiftly address their issues. The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation is making significant efforts to resolve problems related to smart meters.
Energy Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma announced that a new provision has been implemented for smart meter consumers. Even in cases of zero balance, electricity supply will not be interrupted for a maximum of three days or until the amount reaches ₹200 (for up to 2 kilowatts of load). This initiative aims to provide relief to consumers. During a review meeting at Shakti Bhawan in Lucknow, the minister made several important decisions to make the electricity system more transparent, consumer-friendly, and effective. He mentioned that where smart meters have been recently installed, there will be a conversion period of approximately 15 days, followed by an additional 30 days, totaling 45 days, during which no consumer’s electricity connection will be cut.
The Energy Minister emphasized that the process of converting old meters to smart meters will be halted immediately until the technical committee, formed under CM Yogi’s directives, submits its report and the findings are reviewed. To keep consumers informed, a five-tier SMS alert system will be implemented. This system will send alerts when the balance reaches 30%, 10%, and upon depletion, as well as one day before disconnection and after disconnection.
Additionally, the minister instructed that electricity connections will not be cut on Sundays or holidays, even if the balance is negative, to prevent unnecessary inconvenience to consumers. Following the Chief Minister’s directives, a four-member high-level committee has been established to assess the technical quality of smart meters. This committee includes professors from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and other experts. The committee is expected to submit its report within ten days.
In line with the Chief Minister’s intentions, the process of replacing old meters with smart meters has been suspended until the report is received. Future decisions will be based on the committee’s findings. For consumer convenience, a Smart Prepaid Meter Consumer Guide (FAQ) has been released, detailing the benefits and misconceptions associated with smart meters. A comprehensive awareness campaign is also being conducted through social, print, and electronic media.
To address complaints related to smart meters, a special arrangement has been made through the toll-free number 1912. Additionally, consumers can register complaints via the UPPCL website and WhatsApp chatbot. Officials have been directed to monitor complaints daily and ensure their prompt resolution.
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