LUCKNOW A billing crisis has hit Lucknow’s power distribution network, with more than 30,000 electricity consumers waiting for their bills for months due to unresolved billing errors linked to smart meter installations. The issue has triggered thousands of complaints through the LESA helpline (1912), but a large number of bill review and correction requests continue to remain pending, leaving consumers frustrated.
Event Context
The scale of the problem has caught power officials off guard as consumers across the city complain that despite repeated representations at substations, divisional offices and the toll-free helpline, their bills have still not been generated. Many have been without electricity bills for months, making it impossible for them to pay their dues on time.
Officials admitted that the problem largely stems from the replacement of conventional electronic meters with smart meters. While new meters were installed, their numbers were allegedly not updated in the billing software in thousands of cases. As a result, the system failed to generate monthly bills. In several other cases, smart meters have not been transmitting readings correctly, causing bills to remain stuck.
The impact is spread across all four LESA zones. Around 11,000 consumers in Amausi zone, 8,000 in Jankipuram zone, 6,000 in Gomti Nagar zone and nearly 5,000 in Lucknow Central have reportedly been affected.
Team Analysis
Rama Devi, a resident of Kishore Vihar Colony in Rajajipuram, has not received an electricity bill since October 6, 2025. Despite submitting several written and verbal complaints, her account has not been corrected.
In the Amausi zone, Ravish Kumar says his electricity bill has not been generated since March 20, 2026. Every visit to the substation ends with assurances, but the billing issue remains unresolved, while his unpaid dues continue to mount.
Similarly, Mamta Singh, a resident of Amrapali Yojana in Dubagga, has not received any bill since June after her meter was replaced.
The prolonged delay has forced many consumers to repeatedly visit substations and senior officers’ offices, with several claiming they have made multiple trips without receiving any concrete solution.
Sandeep Bhagia, managing director of Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (MVVNL), acknowledged the problem and said instructions have been issued to the executive engineers and the private agency responsible for smart meter operations to ensure that consumers receive bills based on correct meter readings.
Match Outlook
“We are reviewing the issue on a daily basis. Necessary directions have been issued to ensure timely correction of billing problems and no consumer will be subjected to harassment,” Bhagia said.
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According to LESA norms, consumers should receive their bills by the 20th of every month. However, many households have not received a single bill for several months. Consumers fear that once the technical glitches are rectified, they could be asked to pay accumulated bills in one go. Many also worry that the combined consumption may push them into higher billing slabs, significantly increasing their electricity charges.
The crisis has resulted in thousands of unresolved complaints on the LESA helpline, with consumers alleging that their bill review applications have been pending for months without any resolution.
