In a major relief for electricity consumers in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has announced that power supply will not be cut immediately even if a smart meter runs out of balance. Energy Minister AK Sharma said that consumers will continue to get electricity for up to a maximum of three days or till Rs 200 usage for loads up to 2 kilowatts.
The government has also taken a major decision to put the installation of new smart meters on hold across the state with immediate effect. This will remain in place until a technical committee submits its report and it is examined by the government. The decision was taken during a review meeting held at Shakti Bhavan in Lucknow. This is done to make the electricity system more transparent, effective and consumer-friendly.
The minister also announced relief for households where smart meters have been installed recently. In such cases, there will be a transition period of 15 days followed by another 30 days, during which no electricity connection will be disconnected under any circumstances. This will give consumers enough time to adjust to the new system.
To ensure better communication, a five-level SMS alert system will be implemented. Under this system, the first alert will be sent when the balance reaches 30 per cent, the second at 10 per cent, the third when the balance is fully exhausted, the fourth one day before disconnection and the fifth after disconnection. The government has ordered that no electricity connections will be disconnected on Sundays and public holidays, even if the balance turns negative. Officials have been asked to adopt a humane approach.
Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) and Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd, Ashish Kumar Goel, has constituted a four-member high-level committee to examine the technical quality of smart meters. The panel includes Professor Ankush Sharma and Professor Prabodh Bajpai from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur; Tejas Mistry, Section Head at the Electrical Research and Development Association, Vadodara, and G. D. Dwivedi, Director (Distribution) of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. The committee has been asked to submit its report within 10 days, and further decisions on the smart meter rollout will be taken based on its findings.
For consumer awareness, a Smart Prepaid Meter Consumer Guide FAQ has been issued, providing factual details about the benefits of smart meters and addressing related misconceptions. A comprehensive awareness campaign is also being carried out through social, print and electronic media.
For complaint redressal, special arrangements have been made through the toll-free number 1912. Consumers can also register complaints via the official website of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. and through a WhatsApp chatbot. In addition, regional helpline numbers have been issued:
Madhyanchal - 766-900-3409,
Paschimanchal - 785-980-4803,
Purvanchal - 801-096-8292,
Dakshinanchal - 801-095-7826,
KESCO - 828-783-5233.
