Thousands of smart meter consumers in Ranchi are shocked! Electricity bill came in minus, know what is the real reason:

News India Live, Digital Desk: The new smart meter scheme of the electricity department in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi is at the center of discussion and controversies these days. When this month’s electricity bill reached the mobile phones of about 38,000 smart meter consumers of the city, they could not believe their eyes. The bills of many consumers have come in ‘negative’ i.e. minus. While on one hand this strange situation has confused people, on the other hand it has also raised big questions on the technical functioning of the department.

What is the whole matter of ‘negative bill’? There have been complaints from various areas of Ranchi where the outstanding or current bills of consumers have gone below zero. For example, if someone’s bill is showing -500 rupees, it technically means that the consumer has already paid extra to the department. But the surprising thing is that this has happened simultaneously with thousands of people who had not made any extra payment. This has created a fear among the consumers that in future they might have to pay huge ‘arrears’ or penalty all at once.

JBVNL told about technical fault Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) officials have taken cognizance of the matter and termed it a ‘software glitch’ or technical error. According to the department, some technical glitches have occurred during data migration from old meters to smart meters. The ‘security money’ or ‘advance balance’ deposited in the old system has been incorrectly processed by the software of the new smart meter, due to which this error is visible in the billing cycle.

Questions raised on the reliability of smart meters The purpose of installing smart meters in Ranchi was to prevent electricity theft and ensure accurate billing. But this fault, which occurred simultaneously in more than 38,000 meters, has shocked the confidence of consumers. Social workers and consumer organizations say that making the software live without complete testing is causing mental problems to the general public. People are also worried that if the bill is negative, will their connection be disconnected in ‘prepaid’ mode?

Department’s advice to consumers The electricity department has appealed to consumers not to panic. The IT team of the department is working on a war footing to correct this error. Consumers who have received incorrect bills are not required to make payment at this time until the corrected bill is issued. The department has also clarified that the electricity connection of any consumer will not be disconnected due to this technical fault. If the problem persists, consumers can also visit their nearest electricity office and lodge a written complaint.