Power woes: Electricity consumers cry foul over digital meters

PESHAWAR:

For a little over three years, Niaz Ali has been sleeping on a charpoy on the roof of his house. Ever since he installed a digital meter at his house, he has been receiving hefty electricity bills every month and has no choice but to switch off lights and fans to save power.

“Electricity is too expensive for people like me,” the middle-aged government employee tells The Express Tribune. “You can either steal it using an illegal connection or stop using it at all. I have opted for the latter.”

Ali hails from a densely populated area of the city where Peshawar Electric Supply Company workers have replaced the old meters with digital ones. At the time, the decision was lauded as residents believed digital meters would run faster. However, this perception has been reversed after residents starting getting hefty bills.

“Last winter, I received a monthly bill of Rs16,000,” Ali says. “As a result, I decided to minimise electricity consumption. I stopped using fans and lights. Ever since digital meters were installed, our bills have doubled. It consumes a unit even when we charge our mobile phones.”

Muhammad Shoaib, a resident of Charsadda Road, has a similar story to tell. The electricity meter of his house was also replaced with a digital one.

“Before the digital meter was installed, I was charged up to Rs1,600  a month for electricity during the summer,” he said. “However, I now pay Rs2,500 every month. Even if I switch on a fan and an energy saver, I get charged a great deal.”

Muhammad Javed, another resident, said the meter keeps running even when appliances are switched off in the house.

“Meter readers add more to the miseries of consumers as they write extra units while taking down the readings at the end of each month,” said Javed. “People are left with no other option but to use illegal means. It seems as though electricity has become a commodity which is not meant for the underprivileged.”

No solution in sight?

Pesco started replacing old electric meters with digital ones nearly three years ago. The step was taken to bring power theft under control.

Although the new arrangement has given defaulters a tough time, the digital meters have added to the woes of locals.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Pesco officials admit the new meters do run faster than the old ones. However, they believe nothing can be done to slow down the meters as Pesco does not manufacture them and instead buys them in bulk.

The other view

According to the general secretary of the union for Pesco employees, Mustajab Khan, digital meters have nothing to do with the increase in billed amounts.

“Power tariffs have also increased over time,” he tells The Express Tribune. “There is not much difference between the digital meters and the old ones. Instead of blaming Pesco, the public should urge the provincial government to demand for a subsidy on tariffs for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.” Pesco Spokesperson Shaukat Afzal claims the meters are sensitive and record the billed amounts accurately. “The meters even record the power consumed by a door bell,” he added.

However, he says consumers should use digital meters carefully. “A mobile-charger takes up as much electricity as a 100-watt bulb but people take it lightly and keep chargers plugged in round-the-clock,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2015.