Many people have been severely criticizing APDCL because of the unexpected surge in electricity bills. People have been asking them to look into the situation and take some coordinated action to resolve it.
Regarding this, an individual on Twitter wrote, “APDCL running scam through smart meter reading. On a 6.99 kW load normal consumption is 700-900 units per month since last 2-3 years. Now all of a sudden, unit consumption is showing upwards of 1400 units per month and this month it is 1840 units.”
Meanwhile, in response to all the grievances, APDCL has issued a notice. The notification stated, “It has come to our notice that various news items/articles are being published in various news dailies as well as social media platforms regarding increase in electricity bills due to the installation of Smart Meters. Please be informed that installation of smart meters does not lead to increase in electricity bills.”
“Smart Meters are electronic meters with two-way communication capability for remote reading of meters. There are no differences between old static electronic meters and new smart meters regarding measurement of electricity as both of them follow the same BIS standards for electrical metrology i.e., IS 13779,” added the notification.
Addressing the electricity bill increase issue, APDCL added, “The increase in monthly electricity bills in the recent months can be attributable to the fact that there has been significant increase in electricity consumption in the month of July and August 2022 due to scorching heat and less rain compared to the previous months. Moreover, the electricity consumption of all domestic consumers generally increases in the month of July, August and September every year across the State due to peak Summer Season.”
