Almost 20,000 flats across 17 under-construction highrise apartment complexes in Greater Noida are set to get dual meter connections once the projects are completed. Recently, the approvals came from the Noida Power Company Limited (NPCL), which provides electricity in Greater Noida.
Some of the societies that have got the permits are Purvanchal Royal City, Sector Chi 5, Gaur Sons Hi Tech Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Sector 4, Gulshan Homes, Sector 16 and SP Sai IT Pvt Ltd, Techzone 4.
The move comes after the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (UPSERC) 13th amendment in the electricity supply code of August 10, 2018, which addressed the long-pending demand of flat owners for direct power connections with discom.
The demand was raised so that the excessive power charges levied on them in complexes could be controlled. Under the dual meter system, the backup diesel generator lines are linked to the second part of the meter and the charges are to be paid to the designated builder, Residents Welfare Associations (RWAS) or Apartment Owners Associations (AOAs). Most of the times, it is included in the maintenance charge.
While no takers for the dual meter system were seen from among the old societies, the discom is all set to provide dual meters at a cost of Rs 14,500 (for upto 15 kw load capacity) to some of the new apartments.
Work to install the dual meter system has started in Purvanchal Royal City.
The Dual Register Dual Recharge Meter (DRDRM) are to be procured from the discom. “About 103 apartment complexes and highrise societies in Greater Noida have to get multipoint or DRDRM connections as mandated by the UPERC. So far, we have given clearance to about 17 complexes that had applied. Together, it means 20,127 flats. The maximum number of flats – 2,891 — are in Gaur Sons Hi Tech Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, followed by Purvanchal Royal City, which has 2,674 flats,” said Sarnath Ganguly, the general manager, NPCL.
Before implementing the UPERC order on dual meters, NPCL had carried out a pilot project in Royal City with about 400 flats that had 10 % occupancy.
“We have started installing DRDRMs in Purvanchal Royal City,” said Ganguly adding that as per the UPERC order, all new apartments and buildings will now have to take DRDRM connections, instead of single point connection.
Additionally, a consumer can choose the load capacity as per requirement and not as mandated by the builder, which was the practice earlier. “The move is beneficial for the consumers, as not only one gets uniform regulated tariff charges that is levied across the state, one can also recover the cost of the meter in the long run by paying less than what the person would have to in a builder flat,” said Ganguly.
For old complexes, the scheme to opt for DRDRM is open, provided 50 % of the residents agree to it. “The problem is that often, 50 % residents are not ready. Also, most apartments are either under a builder’s control, or do not have registered RWAs or AOAs,” said Ganguly.