Misleading: Electricity bills in Bengaluru will increase drastically once double meters are installed.

By: Sandesh M
January 4 2023

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Context

A tweet posted by the official handle of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP Bengaluru) claims new "double current meters" that are being installed in households across Bengaluru may lead to a rise in electricity bills for consumers. The tweet in Kannada read, "Hearing this news, Bengaluru people are like an electrocuted crow!" (a commonly used metaphor in Kannada language). Shocking news!." Attached to the tweet is an image of two electricity meters, with the text: "Not just for autos, even for current there will be two meters from now on." However, this claim is misleading.

In Fact 

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) is replacing older electromechanical meters with modern digital electrostatic meters in Bengaluru. The electricity board started the process of replacing meters in July 2022. The work has is assigned to two private companies, and installation across households is scheduled to be completed by April 2024. The new digital meters will record power usage more accurately and provide other details like total consumption, current, and voltage levels, as well as the amount charged for the previous months, the Hindu reported. BESCOM has said that the new meters will benefit the electricity board and consumers alike.

We spoke to an official from BESCOM, who confirmed that new digital meters are being installed in several areas of Bengaluru. The official said that most of the meters are being replaced as they were outdated and did not record power consumption accurately. The new meters will be able to record power usage precisely, resulting in bills of some consumers being higher or lower compared to previous months. The difference will be based on how accurate the older mechanical meters were. The official also dismissed the claim that two meters would be installed in each home and said each would have a single meter installed to track power usage. 

On November 9, 2022, BESCOM took to Facebook to explain the difference between the older mechanical meters and the new digital meters. The image added in the Facebook post says the modern meters will record the readings precisely and avoid losses through robbery. The new device costs less and consumes less current compared to older mechanical meters. 

According to a report in the Economic Times, BESCOM is also planning to install smart meters that can reduce electricity consumption, but that work is yet to be rolled out in the city.

The Verdict

New digital meters provide accurate readings, and the rise in the bill is because old meters are being replaced with modern digital devices across Bengaluru. Therefore we have marked the claim as misleading.