Vadodara, May 22 : Amid the growing complaints against the newly installed smart electricity meters in Gujarat's Vadodara, a consumer received a bill of Rs 9.24 lakh for a month's consumption.

Rahish, a Subhanpura resident living in a rented house, received an SMS from Madhya Gujarat Vij Corporation Limited (MGVCL) stating that his bill balance was Rs 9.24 lakh.

Upon investigation, MGVCL discovered an error in their billing system, leading to an exorbitant bill. The customer's actual balance was corrected to Rs 1,037, which will be credited to his smart meter account.

Another resident from Riddhi Siddhi Flats in the Subhanpura area faced a similar issue. His usual electricity bill was around Rs 2,000, but he received an SMS indicating his bill had skyrocketed to over Rs nine lakh, with an option to pay Rs 5,000 in instalments. He has been renting out the flat for seven years, and was unaware of any smart meter installation at his residence, highlighting the lack of communication from the power company.

The controversy surrounding Madhya Gujarat Vij Corporation Limited (MGVCL) 's installation of smart electricity meters in Vadodara continues to grow with consumers reporting a series of issues that have caused frustration.

MGVCL has installed 25,000 smart meters across the city, and many users claim their prepaid amount of Rs 2,000 is consumed within a week of installation.

'The smart meter app prompts consumers to recharge their accounts four times and disconnects power when the balance reaches minus Rs 300. The new meters charge Rs 4.29 per unit, a significant increase from the previous rate of Rs 2.79 per unit. This has further aggravated consumer concerns, with some experiencing disconnections at inconvenient times, such as midnight, and speedy depletion of their recharge amounts,' sources said.

The implementation of smart meters in Vadodara has been contentious since the election period, with reports indicating that meters were installed without adequately informing residents. While the power company views smart meters as a futuristic and beneficial step, many consumers see them as a daily headache.

Complaints have been pouring in from various parts of the city, with frustrated residents frequently visiting the power company's offices to express their grievances.

/IANS