SHILLONG, July 15: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Nongmensong Unit, on Tuesday submitted a petition to Power Minister AT Mondal highlighting the challenges faced by residents of the BSUP Housing Complex in Nongmensong due to inflated electricity bills following the instalation of smart meters.
The student body stated that since the introduction of prepaid smart meters in the housing complex, there has been an exponential increase in household electricity bills.
According to the union, the meters were installed without prior notice or consultation with the residents.
Earlier, residents were paying around Rs 500 to 600 per month. However, after the installation of the smart meters, the monthly bill has reportedly shot up to a minimum of Rs 2,000.
Responding to the concerns, Power Minister AT Mondal assured that he would look into the matter and conduct a review by next week.
“We will examine the issue. If needed, we can even install two meters side by side to compare the differences,” he said.
The minister further informed that around 6 lakh consumers across the state will eventually have to shift to smart meters, which will be installed in different areas in phases.
Mondal added that the introduction of smart meters is also aimed at addressing issues of incorrect billing and suppressed billing.
