Process to collect feedback on smart meters takes off

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited on Friday set the ball rolling for a statewide referendum on quality of smart meters, more than three months after power supply to thousands of homes having smart meters got snapped leaving the state government red faced.
Following directions from energy minister Shrikant Sharma, UPPCL managing director M Devraj has issued a form for the power consumers to give their feedback on the smart meters, which help in arresting line losses and increasing revenue of the distribution companies.Around 12 lakh consumers in districts like Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Bareilly Mathura, Kanpur, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida, Gorakhpur and Faizabad have installed smart meters in their homes and they are expected to participate in the exercise.
In some houses in these districts, power supply had snapped on Janmashtami on August 12 this year, following which chief minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered a probe by the special task force. “The STF probe was necessary to assess if it was a mischief or a sabotage by someone working in the unified command centre situated in Lucknow or was it a technical glitch,” a senior UPPCL officer said.
The detailed form issued by the UPPCL seeks feedback on whether consumers are satisfied with smart meters. They would be required to give reason for their feedback. The forms would be provided to the consumers by various distribution companies soon, sources said.
UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhogta Parishad president AK Verma said the exercise is being carried out after a long struggle for the rights of consumers. The UPPCL has also been receiving complaints of load jumping and fast running of smart meters.
Earlier this week, Sharma had ordered power officials to take feedback from consumers on smart meters. “We are appealing to consumers to give their feedback because that would help in removing the snags,” said Verma, who is also member of the state advisory committee.