BSES Bhawan, Nehru Place, New Delhi – 110019.    Phone - 39999840

                                            Press Release

New Delhi, 27-02-05

Hundreds of BSES consumers voluntarily - and to their satisfaction – get their meters tested by CPRI, an independent Bangalore-based agency. The agency also sample-tests over 2.50 lakh new meters’ of BSES and certifies them to be “accurate”.

Over 150 BSES consumers have got their electronic energy meters tested and verified this month, soon after BSES signed up a MoU with Bangalore-based Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) in late January 2005.

CPRI, an autonomous Society under Ministry of Power of Government of India, was invited for “third-party inspection” in order to strengthen the consumers’ faith in the new digital/electronic meters’. The initiative for third-party inspection followed representations made by many Resident Welfare Associations and individual consumers. It was approved by the Government of Delhi and the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).

In addition to testing the meters of individual domestic consumers and those presented by the RWAs, the highly qualified and trained CPRI testing team also sample-tested over 2.5 lakh newly procured digital/electronic meters by the BSES and found them to be “highly accurate” and thus fit for installation at the consumers’ premises. The CPRI’s field visits, which included testing meters at the individual consumers premises, would continue, said a BSES spokesperson.

“Our tests are very rigorous and scientific. The sampling method – IS 13779 - used for these tests found the entire lot of new meters procured by BSES conforming to our specifications. Each meter our team tested during the field visits was also found to be well within the permissible limits and as per norms of the Electricity Act,” said Madhusudan Kadloor, CPRI Energy Meter testing in-charge and Project Leader for the BSES initiative.

“The facts speak for themselves. BSES meters are accurate and efficient and do not run fast as some alleged. The CPRI-BSES initiative would go a long way to set at rest any doubts the consumers had about the accuracy of the meters,” a BSES top official said. Emphasizing on the need to pay for what one consumes, the top official said: “Instead of doubting the accuracy of the electronic meters, the consumers should turn their attention towards energy conservation and eliminating electricity leaks.”

According to the BSES spokesperson, the electronic meter registers consumption even when the “so called” Zero Watt bulb is lit or when electronic gadgets like TV, washing machine, microwave, toaster, mobile chargers or stabilizers are left switched on or on silent mode. “Electronic meters are sensitive and register leakage of electricity due to “mixing of wires” or even “earthing problem”. Consumers should get their wiring tested,” he said.

This CPRI-BSES initiative sets a new benchmark of transparency and accountability for public utilities in the country. For the CPRI test, consumers are required to submit the “CPRI Testing forms”, available at all 33 divisional offices, along with a copy of the BSES test report and the latest paid bill. These forms can be deposited at any of five BSES office located at Shankar Road, Minto Road, Hari Nagar, Adchini and at Shakti Kiran Building in East Delhi. The CPRI’s comprehensive examination would then cover a number of tests – from insulation and meter constant to limits of error, repeatability of error and A/C high voltage tests. The consumers can also get details about the scheme by dialing an exclusive helpline number # 39999733.

For More Information, Please contact: CCD, BSES Ltd. Contact – 011-39999840 / 9350130304