After installation of smart meters, customers’ bills are running into lakhs.
The electricity department in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur is in the limelight due to its exploits. Here people are surprised to see the electricity bills of saloons, tea shops and laborers’ houses. Bills in lakhs of rupees are coming after installation of smart meters. Aggrieved people are getting disturbed by making rounds of the power department offices. Officials are not ready to listen.
Smart electricity meters installed in the city are proving to be a headache for people. Some are being sent a monthly bill of Rs 27 lakh while some are being sent a bill of Rs 52 lakh. Customers are troubled by the pending bills of lakhs. Due to non-payment of bills, electricity supply to customers has been stopped. A customer has received a bill of Rs.56 lakh.
After installing the smart meter, the bill of the salon is 27 lakh rupees
After installation of smart meter in Muzaffarpur, the bill of salon shop has come to 27 lakh 10 thousand 618 rupees. Vinay Kumar, the salon manager, said that one fan and four bulbs work in the shop. Earlier, the electricity bill used to be 200 to 500 rupees per month. The department has installed smart meters a month ago. After 10 days of recharging the power went off. When I checked the bill it was Rs. was 27 lakhs. He was horrified to see the electricity bill of such an amount. Complained about this in the department but no hearing was done. He is facing many problems due to power cut, it is also causing financial problems. By running a salon, she manages the expenses of the entire family.
A tea shop in the hut, the electricity bill came to Rs.37 lakhs
Kameshwar Shah is a tea shopkeeper living in Baretha of Basghatta Panchayat. He is somehow supporting his family by opening a shop in his hut. The electricity department has sent its electricity bill of 36 lakh 92 thousand 329 rupees. Even after Kameshwar Shah was recharged, his electricity was not switched on as the bill was shown as minus. He checked online and was shocked to see such a huge bill. He said that he was mentally stressed after seeing such a huge bill. We have been rounding the office for electricity improvement, but till date there is no improvement. There are two light bulbs and a fan in his hut house. Despite making regular electricity payments, the electricity bills were huge.
One and a half month bill 52 lakh 43 thousand
A smart meter was installed at Harishkumar’s house at Harishankar Maniyari a month and a half ago. On June 27, there was a sudden power cut. After this Harish recharged Rs.500 but the power supply was not switched on. Then when I downloaded the bill I saw that a bill of Rs 52 lakh 43 thousand 327 was generated. Haresh is concerned about making rounds of the power department. He says he used to pay electricity bills on time before smart meters were installed. After installation of smart meter, a bill of Rs.52 lakh has come. Haresh said that four fans, four bulbs and one AC are installed in his house. However, this bill has come in a month and a half.
The officials gave this information
In this regard, JEE SK Thakur said that while installing smart meters, readings of old meters are fitted. Smart meters are being installed by a company in Udaipur. A wrong bill has been reported. This is a technical glitch, which is being fixed. In-charge Electrical Executive Engineer Purvi Kishore Kumar said that the electricity bill is completely wrong. The bill is incorrect due to a technical glitch. The bill will be amended.
