BENGALURU
With the shift from manual meter reading devices to optical port probe devices, the Energy Department has suggested installing meters at a height of 5 feet in places that are easily accessible to consumers.
A senior official of the energy department said that the new device was introduced in August-September. These are connected to the spot billing meters using a cable. Then the meter reader enters the RR number of the meter. All the details of electricity consumption are generated automatically.
After the introduction of this new meter, many customers complained that their meters were located at high altitudes or in places where access was difficult and where cables could not be connected to the reader or the meters were too far away. Therefore, the exact specific heights and locations have been detailed, officials say.
With the old hand-held meter reading devices, staff would spend half an hour reading 10 meters, now the same number can be read and bills issued in 10 minutes.
The customer will have to bear the cost of changing the meter location, the department will only help in selecting the location and ensuring that there are no errors during installation. The new meter system will not result in any errors in the bills. Work is also underway to replace manual meters with digital meters. The number is small, but they will continue to function, officials say.
Bangalore Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (BESCOM) has requested all farmers and consumers to call its helpline 1912 or send WhatsApp messages for electricity-related issues.
The public and farmers can call the 1912 helpline to register their complaints if they are facing transformer failure or other electricity related issues in their fields. If the 1912 helpline is not available, the complaint message can be sent through the WhatsApp number of the helpline numbers specific to your area, the release said.
