Spiraling Electricity Bills @ Hyderabad, A.P., India

For the past year or so I have seen my monthly electricity bill rise from about Rs. 300/- to about Rs. 1700/-. This increase has happened without a corresponding increase in the number of electrical appliances in the house. In fact, I have replaced all incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs and the old fridge has been replaced with a new one. No other change in appliances & consumption patterns.

And yet my bill has increased by a factor of 5!

I was somehow not surprised when I read about other people at work having similar bill increases. It seems to be very common to have had one's bill doubled or tripled.

In my quest for answers I visited the local APTRANSCO sub station at Srinagar Colony, Hyderabad. There I met an official called Venkatesh. This person asked me about the number and nature of appliances I use at home and then finally directed me to another APTRANSCO employee called Jagadeesh. I called the number I was given and Jagadeesh came to take a look at the electric meter in our apartment complex. He pronounced it okay and told me that I should have an electrician take a look at the wiring in my flat. He also told me that he knew a good person and would bring him over.

Well, this electrician did come over today (July 1, 2007). Along with Jagadeesh. They poked around with the meter for a while. When I asked them to look at the wiring they had a whispered conversation among themselves and then informed me that they had a solution to my electrical woes:

"We will replace the meter with a older, rotary type meter, one with a plastic body. No body from TRANSCO will come to inspect. You should not tell anybody about this. The new meter will work 60 - 40. That is, it will suppress 40% of whatever bill you have. If somebody inquires, then just claim that this is the meter that has always been present. Cost Rs. 3000/-. Plus baksheesh for now, say about Rs. 200/-"

By now I had figured out that I was being conned. I ended up paying 150/- to these APTRANSCO employees to get rid of them, with the promise that I would call them tomorrow about the change of meter.

I have no intention of hacking my meter or changing it illegally. Now I am looking for ways to measure my electrical consumption independently of the APTRANSCO meter installed in my flat. Any ideas?