Most power meters fast, agrees Govt
A sarkari panel has concluded that electronic power meters in the city indeed run faster than they should, reports Amitabh Shukla.
The Delhi government has finally endorsed what many Delhiites have long argued. A sarkari panel has concluded that electronic power meters in the city indeed run faster than they should.
At its first meeting held at the end of March, the six-member Electricity Consumers Advocate Committee (ECAC) noted that most meters tested by Bangalore’s Central Power Research Institute under the aegis of the Public Grievance Cell were found to be fast. The margin of error was 2.5 per cent, much more than the acceptable 0.5 per cent.
Minutes of the meeting show members agreed that an independent authority, not distcoms, should test meters, so “no false cases are filed against any consumer”. They also slammed the distcoms for imposing “highly oppressive and unreasonable” penalties on alleged power thieves.
The ECAC was set up in November 2007 to protect consumers’ interests. The next meeting, scheduled for later this month, will discuss legal redress for consumers.
An NDPL spokesperson said: “We use the best meters available in India. They conform to international standards.” A BSES spokesperson said: “We can’t comment till we see the report. In general, our meters conform to BIS standards.”