Plea to allow Gujarat's power consumers to install own meters

The Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) has filed a petition with the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC), seeking to direct the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) to allow consumers to install meters of their own.

In the petition, CERS cited the rules in the Indian Electricity Act,1910, and the Indian Electricity Act-2003, to assert the consumers' right to install their own meters duly tested and certified by the GEB.

CERS termed the GEB's distribution circular issued in this respect to all divisional offices against allowing consumers to put up their own meters as a violation of the Electricity Acts.

Replying to a CERS letter, the GEB had said consumers would be allowed to install private meters only when the GEB would run short of meters.

CERS quoted tariff order No. 34/2000 passed by the GERC which directed the Ahmedabad Electricity Company (AEC) to lay down appropriate procedure, enabling its consumers to install their own meters. CERS said the consumers having private meters are subjected to testing meters every year.

But the utilities did not follow and check the meters installed by them as recommended.

It also told the GERC that as per statutory requirement, the utilities had to keep energy meters correct and make sure that the actual consumption was recorded.

CERS asked the GERC to direct the GEB to test meters of consumers once a year, medium voltage consumers once in three years and low voltage consumers once in seven years.

CERS urged the GERC to pass an interim order directing the GEB to permit consumers to install private meters.