Pankaj Kumar Pal, Secretary of the Energy Department in Bihar and CMD of State Power Holding Company Limited, held a meeting on Monday with the aim of improving the smart pre-paid meters being installed in the state and developing them as per the convenience of the consumers. Vishal Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer of Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a Government of India undertaking, Mahesh Kumar, Managing Director of South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited, Nilesh Ramchandra Devre, Managing Director of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited and senior officials of power companies were present in the meeting.
He said that the distribution companies of the state are continuously working to ensure that consumers get maximum benefit from smart pre-paid meters. Many misconceptions were also spread by some people last month regarding smart pre-paid meters, regarding which people are being made aware of the real situation through various awareness programs. This has increased the credibility among consumers towards installation of smart pre-paid meters.
Let people know about technical features
He said that all the regional officers and implementing agencies have been instructed to fully assure the people about the benefits and technical facilities of smart prepaid meters. It is necessary to remove whatever misconceptions people have about smart pre-paid meters and tell them about its benefits in a transparent manner.
He said that it is necessary to remove all the misconceptions among the people regarding smart pre-paid meters and tell them about its benefits in a transparent manner. Free installation of smart prepaid meter: No amount is charged from the consumers for replacing the old meter with smart prepaid meter. Three percent discount is given on recharge.
In smart prepaid meter, the work of meter reading and billing is done automatically without any human intervention. Due to this there is no possibility of disturbance in the electricity bill. Real-time electricity consumption and bill information Smart meters provide consumers with real-time information on daily energy/amount cuts, allowing consumers to better understand their usage habits.
Electricity Saving: Due to availability of real time data, electricity can be saved by controlling excess electricity consumption, due to which consumers can reduce their expenses. Facility to pay the previous outstanding amount in installments: Facility to deposit the previous outstanding amount in easy installments after installation of smart meter has been provided. Consumers get interest if they maintain an amount of Rs 2,000 or more in their smart prepaid meter account. If kept in the account for three months, interest is higher than the bank rate. If kept for 3-6 months, one gets bank rate + 0.25%. Similarly, if kept for more than six months, the bank rate is 0.25 percent.
No security deposit is required for taking new electricity connections through smart prepaid meters. In this, a provision has been made to return the security deposit already taken. Relief from extra charges for consuming more electricity than the sanctioned load – After installation of smart prepaid meter, if electricity is consumed more than the sanctioned load, then the consumer will not have to pay any extra charges for six months. Smart Prepaid Meter: After installing grid connected solar panels in the consumers’ premises, there is no need to install a separate net meter.
Consumers get better service through smart prepaid meters. Consumers can recharge at their convenience sitting at home without going to the office. Consumers can recharge with any amount as per their requirement. You can view your daily consumption and monthly bills through the mobile app. Apart from this, due to error free bills, they do not need to visit the office.