DINDIGUL: Over 98,640 electric meters became defective at the Dindigul division of Tangedco in the last four years. Social activists claim the high number of defective meters raises suspicion on the quality of the installed meters.
According to an RTI reply, a total of 81,874 single phase meters and 16,766 three phase meters have turned defective in the period between January, 2021 and December, 2024. As many as 4,486 single phase meters and 272 three phase meters are yet to be repaired.
Speaking to TNIE, RTI activist NG Mohan said, "Despite having lesser consumption than districts like Madurai, Tiruppur and Coimbatore, the district has an unusually high number of defunct meters. The meter is a tool to measure power consumption and if it gets repaired, it is necessary to find the cause of the problem. Just replacing or repairing the meter is not enough. We can only conclude that the meter is of poor quality. Mostly, single phase electric meters are going defective and they are used by lower middle-class families."
Speaking to TNIE, a top official from Tangedco (Dindigul) said, "The meter is only an electrical device and is bound to face issues. For example, when there is excess load from the transformer, the meter cannot withstand it and may get damaged. There could also be internal issues, if customer installs more than one air conditioner or water heater in a single phase connection, it could cause damage to the meter due to overload. However, customers will not be charged on these external factors. The meter will be brought to the testing lab, and after finding the reason for the damage, the defective meter will be replaced."