New Smart Meters: Beware of Soaring Electricity Bills in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh

Rising Electricity Bills in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh: Consumers in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh are reporting increased electricity bills due to alleged negligence during the installation of smart meters. Incorrect phase-neutral connections are leading to inflated consumption readings, yet the electricity company appears to be ignoring this serious issue.

Electricity bills are increasing: If a new smart meter is being installed in your home, be vigilant. Incorrect connection of the phase and neutral wires during meter installation can increase your electricity meter consumption, leading to higher electricity bills than before.

In Sagar city, the majority of consumer complaints following smart meter installations relate to this issue. However, the responsible officials of the electricity company have not taken this matter seriously. The electricity company is replacing old meters with smart meters in the city. During this process, contractor employees are showing negligence and ignoring the internal house wiring, arbitrarily connecting the phase and neutral supply. This error by the employees is causing losses to ordinary consumers.

Problem Solved by Changing Connections with MCB

Raju Singh, an army personnel living on rent in the Telecom Colony, said that he had been away from home in Rajasthan for the past two months. Despite this, his home’s electricity consumption was 150 to 200 units. When he called an electrician, it was discovered that his meter connection was incorrect. Later, after correcting the connection with an MCB (miniature circuit breaker), the electricity consumption decreased.

Similarly, Harvansh Agrawal, a resident of Civil Lines, said that his tenant’s electricity bill was also significantly higher. When the phase and neutral connections were changed with the MCB, the daily consumption decreased.

More than 150 Complaints Every Month

The majority of complaints received by the electricity company relate to inflated or incorrect electricity bills. To address these consumer complaints, the company organises camps across the district every Tuesday. Four such camps are held in the city every Tuesday at different locations. Approximately 150 consumers attend these camps every month to lodge their complaints.

Consumers Can Lodge Complaints

In this regard, Ajit Chauhan, Executive Engineer of the electricity company, says that no complaints have been received so far regarding errors in meter installation. If any consumer feels that their connections have been incorrectly installed, they can lodge a complaint and have it investigated.