# Chhattisgarh's smart meter row escalates as opposition leader demands probe, power company insists readings are accurate

> As complaints mount over faulty readings and inflated bills from smart meters in Chhattisgarh, opposition leader Charandas Mahant has asked Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai for a probe, while the power distribution company insists the meters are fully accurate.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Chhattisgarh · **Published:** 2026-09-08 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/chhattisgarh/bijali-bila-barhane-ki-shikayaton-para-chhattisgarh-men-siyasata-garamai-charandas-mahant-ne-sai-ko-likha-patra-knpani-ne-bataya-m-29423 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Smart Meter, Charandas Mahant, Vishnu Deo Sai, Chhattisgarh, Electricity Bill, Power Distribution Company, Raipur, NABL Lab

Anger over digital smart electricity meters in Raipur has now moved from public complaints into the state assembly, with the opposition demanding an independent inquiry into faulty readings and inflated bills.

## What Mahant's letter to the chief minister says
Leader of the Opposition Dr Charandas Mahant has written to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai seeking a fair, high-level investigation into the unexpected electricity bills and reading errors traced to the smart meters. In his letter, Mahant told the chief minister that ever since the new smart meters were installed, consumers have been struggling with a sudden jump in recorded electricity consumption and unusually heavy bills. He urged the government to take immediate note of these complaints in the public interest, get all the disputed meters technically inspected, and replace any meter found to be faulty without delay.

## Complaints that meters keep running even after the main switch is off
Meanwhile, complaints have surfaced from several parts of the state that meter readings continue to climb even after a household's main power supply has been switched off. Technical experts have clarified that a meter's display staying lit, or the meter continuing to send out a digital signal, is a routine function and should not be mistaken for actual power consumption. Smart meters are designed to log real-time data automatically every 30 minutes, which is why some activity keeps showing on the screen even when appliances are off.

## A five-minute test consumers can run at home
To clear up the confusion, the power department has shared a simple method, completed in just five minutes, that lets any consumer check their own meter's fairness. First, switch off every electrical appliance in the house, including the cooler, fan, TV, fridge, AC and motor. Then take a clear photograph of the kWh reading on the meter's display and note the exact time. Right after that, switch off the home's main switch as well. After exactly five minutes, take another photograph of the kWh reading. If the reading shows any change or increase during that period despite the main switch being off, consumers can use the two photographs as evidence to file a complaint at their local power distribution centre.

## Power company insists the meters are accurate
Responding to the mounting questions, the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company has defended the smart meters as fully accurate and transparent. Company officials say a check meter was installed alongside the main smart meter at more than 4,800 consumer premises across different parts of the state for cross-verification, and the difference between the two readings came out to zero in every case. In addition, 74 smart meters were put through a detailed forensic examination at a NABL-accredited laboratory in Bhilai, carried out in the presence of the consumers themselves, and every meter was found to fully meet the prescribed standards.

## What this means for you
If a new smart meter at your home has sent your bill unexpectedly higher, you now have a simple do-it-yourself way to check whether the meter itself is at fault.

- **Across India:** Consumers in any state where smart meters are being rolled out can use the same five-minute check, switching off every appliance, photographing the kWh reading, turning off the main switch, then photographing the reading again after five minutes, to test their own meter's accuracy.
- **In Chhattisgarh:** Consumers across the state, including in Raipur, will need to keep these timestamped photographs as proof when filing a complaint at their local power distribution centre. If the high-level inquiry sought by the opposition leader goes ahead, households with genuinely faulty meters could get them replaced.
- **Track your bill:** Compare your monthly consumption and bill amount against previous months, and run this test immediately if you notice a sudden, unexplained jump.
- **Keep your evidence:** Save both photographs along with the exact times noted, since they become your main proof if you need to lodge a complaint.

## Why this happened
The dispute over these bills began right after the state started replacing old meters with new digital smart meters. It has not been established whether the higher bills stem from a genuine technical fault or from consumers misreading normal meter behaviour, and the two sides currently disagree on the cause.

- **Bills rose after new meters went in:** According to Mahant's letter, consumers began noticing a sudden jump in recorded consumption and bill amounts right from when the new smart meters were installed, which is the root of the complaints.
- **A technical misunderstanding may play a part:** A meter's display staying lit and its sending data every 30 minutes are routine functions, but some consumers appear to have mistaken this activity for continued power consumption even after switching off the main switch.
- **The company's counter-claim:** The Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company says it found no technical fault after installing check meters at more than 4,800 premises and conducting a forensic examination of 74 meters at a NABL-accredited lab in Bhilai.
- **What happens next:** Following Mahant's demand, it is now up to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's government to decide whether to order an independent high-level inquiry or treat the company's explanation as the final word.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What has opposition leader Charandas Mahant demanded?
He has written to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai seeking a fair, high-level inquiry into smart meter complaints and asking that faulty meters be replaced.

### 2. Why does a meter's reading appear to rise even after the main switch is turned off?
Technical experts say a meter's display staying lit or sending data every 30 minutes is routine and does not represent actual electricity consumption.

### 3. How can consumers check their own meter?
Switch off all appliances, photograph the kWh reading, turn off the main switch, take another photo after five minutes, and use any change in reading as evidence.

### 4. Where should consumers complain if they spot a discrepancy?
They can take both photographs as proof and file a complaint at their nearest power distribution centre.

### 5. What has the power company said in its defence?
The Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company says the meters are fully accurate, citing zero difference found after cross-checking at more than 4,800 premises.

### 6. Where and how many meters were forensically examined?
74 smart meters were forensically examined at a NABL-accredited lab in Bhilai in the presence of consumers, and all met the prescribed standards.

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