Himachal Pradesh electricity consumers will now have to pay a reconnection fee of ₹240 if their power supply is disconnected due to non-payment of bills. The Electricity Board has issued a notification implementing the updated rules after the installation of modern smart meters across the state.
According to the board, the fee remains the same as earlier, but the process of disconnection has changed. With smart meters now fully installed, the connection will be automatically cut off if the bill is not paid on time. The output line of the smart meter will shut down the power supply without any manual intervention.
Even after paying the pending bill and the reconnection fee, consumers will not receive immediate restoration of electricity. The board has clarified that it will take around 30 minutes for the supply to resume. To avoid inconvenience, consumers have been advised to clear their dues promptly.
The Electricity Board has also shifted to online billing, ending the earlier practice of manual bill generation by staff visiting households. Bills will now be sent directly to the mobile numbers and email IDs provided by consumers. The board has cautioned that if someone fails to check the online bill and misses the payment deadline, the system will automatically disconnect the connection under the new rules, effective from December.
Officials said that with smart meters operational statewide, strict enforcement of the new guidelines has already begun.
