Electricity Bill: Power companies are about to deliver a major blow to consumers, Energy Minister's claim fails, smart meters will not be installed for free, rent will be added to the electricity bill...
Electricity companies are preparing to further burden consumers' pockets. Now, companies will also recover the cost of installing smart meters from consumers, and that too along with the electricity tariff. In a proposal submitted to the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission, the companies have registered a large sum of Rs 500 crore in the name of smart meters.
This amount has been added under expenses related to smart meters, maintenance, and other heads. If this part is included in the rate hike, it will be recovered on a per-unit consumption basis. Three lakh smart meters have already been installed in Bhopal, and an equal number are yet to be installed.
Energy Minister Pradyumn Singh Tomar had clearly stated that there would be no charge for smart meters. However, the tariff proposal suggests a different story regarding the expenses associated with smart meters.
Electricity companies have proposed a rate hike of 10.19 per cent to the regulatory commission. Hearings on this were held from February 24 to 26. The hearing concluded on February 26 at the Regulatory Commission's office in Bhopal. A smart meter provides real-time information on a consumer's electricity consumption. It also monitors and manages the consumer's electricity usage. Under the Centre's IPDS, electricity meters across the country are being converted to smart meters.
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