‘IF UPPCL FAILS TO GIVE DESIRED SERVICES, ASK FOR DAMAGES’

If your meter reader has not shown up for over two months, if the meter is malfunctioning and no action has been taken despite your complaint, or if you are receiving high / low voltage supply on a regular basis, you can claim damages from the power company.

The UP State Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad has appealed to residents to not sit quietly but claim compensation if there’s a delay / error in meter reading, or a problem in voltage supply, or if officials have been sitting over a request to change a faulty meter.

Chairman, UP State Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad, Avadhesh Kumar Varma said, “The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation charges a regulatory surcharge, which is around 4.28 % of the bill. So they are bound to pay compensation for any problem faced by the consumers because of them.” “According to the UP electricity supply code of 2005, if the UPPCL fails in giving desired services, it will have to pay compensation,” he added.

He said consumers should be aware of their legal rights. Just as the consumers perform their duty by paying bills on time, it is a must that they use the rights given to them by law. The law is for the protection of the consumer -- so that he / she is not exploited, said Varma.

Consumers can claim Rs 50 for not receiving meter reading or receiving the wrong reading, Rs 100 if there is a delay in transfer of connection, and Rs 50 if an outof-order meter is not replaced, he said, adding, “UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Prishad will start a programme to educate consumers in the city.”