Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has taken a strict view of widespread power outages linked to smart prepaid meters and issued notices to all seven discoms, including private ones- Noida Power Company and Torrent Power.The notices have been issued in response to a petition filed by the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad, alleging violations of service standards during recent power disconnections. UPERC has sought detailed explanations from the managing directors of the power companies within 15 days and asked for a comprehensive report covering the period from Feb 1 to March 20. The Commission observed that delays of several hours in restoring power supply even after consumers recharged their prepaid meters amount to a clear violation of the Standard of Performance Regulations, 2019. According to the petition, more than 74 lakh smart prepaid meters have been installed across the state, and nearly 69.6 lakh consumers were shifted to prepaid mode without prior notice. Around 5.84 lakh consumers reportedly showed a negative balance of about Rs 1,753 crore. Between March 13 and March 18, power utilities carried out an “automatic disconnection drive”, disconnecting nearly 5.79 lakh connections due to negative balances. However, a large number of consumers faced prolonged outages despite making timely payments, leading to public anger and law-and-order concerns in several areas. UPERC noted that such delays cause serious inconvenience and mental stress to consumers and are unacceptable for a utility service. The commission has directed discoms to submit data on restoration timelines, reasons for delays, and the number of consumers eligible for compensation. It clarified that further action will be taken after examining the submitted reports.
