Noida RWAs call for pause to rollout of smart meters

The chief engineer said officials were monitoring complaints through dedicated groups that include core committee members of RWA

Noida: The Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Associations (FONRWA) on Wednesday met Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) officials, and sought halting smart metres installation until issues of billing and outages linked to the prepaid meters were resolved.

FONRWA’s general secretary KK Jain said while problems flagged earlier remain unresolved, new issues are emerging every day. “Even after making payments, supply is being cut. The rollout should be paused until the system becomes stable and reliable. (HT Archive)

During the meeting with UPPCL’s chief engineer Sanjay Jain and other officials, FONRWA representatives said that consumers continue to face “serious operational issues” following the meters rollout.

FONRWA’s general secretary KK Jain said while problems flagged earlier remain unresolved, new issues are emerging every day. “Even after making payments, supply is being cut. The rollout should be paused until the system becomes stable and reliable.”

In Noida, smart meters have been installed in around 40,000 households, said UPPCL officials, adding that the rollout is not being aggressively pushed, but there are no plans to pause installations.

They also clarified that a server crash had occurred earlier, but the issue has since been resolved and system capacity strengthened. “Since some consumers lack clarity on the process, they have been briefed,” said the chief engineer.

Some residents also flagged limited grievance redressal through the Sector 18-located single billing office.

The chief engineer said officials were monitoring complaints through dedicated groups that include core committee members of RWA. “Our officers will track issues in real time, assign them to concerned staff, and update the status within the group itself to ensure quick resolution.”