Power Department, Govt of Nagaland (DoPN) has informed that all categories of electricity consumers in the State will be mandatorily fitted with pre-paid energy meter.
In a press release issued by Chief Engineer Moa Aier, the department stated that prepaid energy meter will solve inaccurate billings and the resultant complications. The billing will be accurate and commensurate to the actual consumption, the department stated.
It will thus enable consumers to know their actual consumption pattern, thereby enabling them to control their usage of electricity in a responsible manner as responsible citizens, it added.
Dismissing apprehensions of ‘higher bills’, the department stated that tariff of prepaid consumers will be lesser than that of postpaid meter consumers. However, if internal wirings are defective and there are leakages, it will show as consumption, it cautioned, and advised consumers to check and rectify their internal wirings, as it may be a fire hazard or cause damage to electrical equipment in the building.
The DoPN also informed that in future, two-part tariff (dynamic pricing) may be introduced, enabling consumers to choose their time of electricity usage, by consuming during low tariff hours and minimizing utilization during high tariff hours, thereby economizing their energy use.
With proper billing and collection, the financial health of the power sector can be improved. This will lead to condition of power supply being improved and becoming more stable as capacity addition and maintenance can be supported, it added.
About 1,100 pre-paid meters has been installed as a pilot scheme in Marwari Patti area Dimapur during 2013-14, which is successfully functioning. The installation was then extended to more areas within Kohima and Dimapur beginning October 2020. As a first phase 10,000 prepaid meters were being installed in Dimapur and another 9,000 in Kohima.
While works for installation of prepaid meters have been temporarily suspended due to the pandemic, it will be restarted once the situation stabilizes, the department stated, while seeking cooperation from the citizens.