SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEBL) has announced that the drive to install smart electricity meters across the state will continue as planned. The management clarified that misinformation surrounding a court case in Hamirpur had created unnecessary confusion among consumers, emphasizing that the court’s interim order was limited only to a single individual’s case.
According to the board, the interim order passed by the Civil Judge’s Court in Hamirpur pertained specifically to Jaimal Singh, a resident of Lambloo. Misleading information regarding this order was circulated through various channels, triggering confusion about the overall installation of smart meters.
During a subsequent hearing on July 13, the electricity board presented its case in court. Board officials tabled all relevant facts concerning the smart meter scheme alongside the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003.
The board assured the court that even after the installation of the smart meter, the consumer’s connection would continue to operate on postpaid mode and would not be switched to prepaid mode without their consent. Following this assurance, the consumer agreed to the installation, the smart meter was set up on his premises, and the lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn.
The board management stated that smart meters are a key step toward a modern and transparent power distribution system. The technology aims to bring transparency to billing, improve energy management, and provide faster, high-quality services to consumers.
Background of the Case
The issue surfaced after the Hamirpur Civil Court passed an interim order amid ongoing debates over smart meters in Himachal Pradesh. The court had observed that a consumer cannot be forced to install a smart meter at their residential or commercial property without consent. It also held that disconnecting power supply solely due to a consumer’s refusal to install a smart meter was unjustified, directing that the power supply be restored using the old meter.
The legal dispute began when Jaimal Singh filed a petition against the SDO of HPSEBL, Lambloo. The petitioner alleged that the electricity board had issued a notice threatening to disconnect his power supply if he did not allow the installation of a smart meter. Singh had sought the court’s intervention to challenge the notice.
During the initial hearings, the electricity board argued that smart meters were being installed at commercial establishments under state government policy, maintaining that electricity supply must be metered through appropriate devices as per the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003.
