Streamlining consumption:

Better deal for power users

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Details of daily electricity consumption and the relevant charges of 4.2 million electricity consumers in the country will be displayed on mobile phones and on the Internet under a special scheme to be implemented by the Power and Energy Ministry shortly.

The objective of the scheme being implemented for the first time in the country is to make electricity consumers aware about the current position of their bills, so that they will be able to settle them on a weekly or monthly basis, at their convenience.

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told the Sunday Observer that such a scheme will benefit a large number of low income families, since statistics reveal that many people face hardships when paying large dues every month.

“Under this scheme, electricity consumers could access this service through the Internet or their mobile phones by using secret codes and obtain details of their electricity bills,” he said.

Thereafter, they could fill forms and make payments even in instalments and thereby prevent unnecessary power disconnections.

Minister Ranawaka paid special attention to the waste of electricity countrywide by Local Government institutions by keeping street lights switched on for many hours after dawn and said that special teams have been deployed to crack down on responsible authorities.

“Legal action will be taken against those responsible without considering their positions”, he said.

The Minister who outlined the introduction of `Smart Meters’ from next January said it will benefit domestic consumers and industrialists who use electricity during the off-peak hours between 9.30 pm and 4.30 am.

The Minister said attention is being paid towards the construction of hydro power and coal power plants rather than thermal power plants in the future to pass more benefits for electricity consumers.

He said 85 percent of Sri Lankans have access to electricity and steps will be taken to provide electricity to all households by December 2012 under the CEB’s `Vidulamu Lanka’ program.

Under this program a large number of people in the Northern and Eastern Provinces will get electricity after several years.