Good news for the pre-paying domestic power customers. In its first, Uttarakhand Power Corporation limited (UPCl) is all set to implement prepaid metre scheme in the State from May this year as a result of which the customers would get around three to four percent discount on domestic power consumption. Such a programme was mulled earlier, but was put on hold due to several reasons.
The UPCl has sent a proposal of separate tariff for the prepaying customers to Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission. UPCl spokesperson Madhusudan said that UPCl has recently submitted a new proposal to UERC for procuring prepaid electronic meters. The proposal has been presented along with the proposed electricity tariff plans.
It should be mentioned here that UPCl had started installing prepaid electronic meters under temporary connection in January 13, 2015. Out of 1200, 500 were installed in Dehradun district. The department, however, stopped the project in April as the existing machines were not matching with existing tariff plans. Besides, the change in the tariff plans created hurdles for the consumers to recharge their connections.
Now, the electricity consumers having one phase can recharge connection with coupons worth Rs 100 or Rs 500 while the consumers using three- phase connections can use prepaid coupons worth Rs 15,000. UPCl had installed nearly 1,200 prepaid electronic meters across the State.
Under the scheme, the customers may get discount on power rate and fixed charge rate with the implementation of prepaid metre in the State. According to the UPCl official, a separate arrangement has been made for electric tariff plans for the year 2016-17. Fixed charge will be incorporated with recharge coupon. All the arrangements have been made under the new scheme so that the customers could not face problems while using the prepaid scheme. Extra charge will be deducted from the recharge coupon purchased by the customers.
UPCl earlier sought UERC for implementation of general tariff and a month later, a permission was sought for the implementation of tariff in prepaid metre so that new programme could be fed as per new tariff. Under the scheme, a recharge coupon worth Rs 100 to Rs 500 has been kept for single phase connection. Recharge coupon worth Rs 15, 000 for three- phase connection has also been kept. A system has been developed in which alarm will be sounded in case of less balance in the coupon. Power, however, will not discontinue till 40 hours in case of low balance, the UPCl officer added.