Mumbai: 3.8L power meters will be available by March end to replace faulty ones, provide new connections

MUMBAI: This could be good news for

power consumers

of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited(MSEDCL) as the latter is now providing brand new electricity meters to 3.8 lakh consumers across the state by March end. It has placed orders for procuring a total 20 lakh new

power meters

this year.


MSEDCL chief spokesperson Anil Kamble said : "While part of these meters will be used for providing new connections, there are also cases of faulty meters which will now be replaced."

He further said that there was an acute shortage of new meters with MSEDCL during the

Covid Lockdown

and some of the consumers had to procure these meters from the market at double the cost. MSEDCL chairman and managing director Vijay Singhal has made a strategic plan to provide adequate number of meters to the regional offices. "It has been planned in such a manner that there should not be any scarcity of meters in any situation. For this, MSEDCL has been following up with the suppliers who have been given orders through a tendering process for supplying 18 lakh single phase and nearly 2 lakh three-phase meters," Kamble said.

Every year, there is a need for 8-10 lakh new power meters.

Konkan

area, comprising parts of Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan and Panvel will get a maximum share of 70,000 new meters by month end. "While 3.8 lakh meters will be available by month end, we will have 14.6 lakh meters between April 1 and August 31," he said, while appealing to citizens to procure new meters only from MSEDCL and not buy it from the open market.