GUWAHATI: Assam Power Distribution Corporation Limited (APDCL) will install 1.80 lakhs smart electricity meters in 70 percent of Guwahati's households by September 2022. With this, the Corporation aims to ensure complete accuracy in billing, which is a major flaw as of now.
APDCL has approximately 2.5 lakh consumer households in Guwahati city. Installation of 80,000 smart meters has already been completed in the Zoo Road, Dispur and Fancy Bazaar areas of the city.
Officials of APDCL informed that the installation of the approved 1.80 lakh meters will be completed by September 2022. However, the installation for the remaining 70,000 APDCL consumers of Guwahati will be approved among the 6,20,100 meters that was sanctioned by the Assam Government in the recent Cabinet meeting on October 19.
"With every smart meter, a Smart Bijulee mobile application is provided, through which people can check their electricity consumption hourly, weekly and monthly. Bills, both prepaid and postpaid, can also be paid through the app. APDCL will be able to register the meter readings more accurately, unlike in manual readings where the readers tend to make mistakes, and also connect and disconnect power connections directly," an official of APDCL said.
Notably, APDCL has already suspended many of its contractual meter readers for misappropriation in meter readings, which have led to high electricity bills to consumers.