The State Electric Company (STELCO) has responded to allegations made against them with claims of utility bills issued without reading the electricity-usage meters installed in residences.
The allegation was recently made by a local news outlet, Dhiyares, which published an article on 01st May 2023 claiming that the utility provider issued utility bills to customers without prior meter-reading. Responding to the allegation, STELCO affirmed the news was baseless and was a propaganda to sway public opinion against the utility company.
STELCO in its statement further confirmed that all utility bills are produced based on the electrical usage of the consumers, and each individual utility bill reflecting the power consumption of each registered customer is carefully calculated based on the said meter readings.
Moreover, STELCO noted that customers can use their mobile application to calculate the electrical consumption rate themselves. The application also shows how much electricity a customer consumes.
The special procedures in meter readings during Covid-19 was transitioned back to standard protocol from June 2020, and noted that the contentious article from Dhiyares which had claimed STELCO continued to gauge meter readings according to the Covid-19 special procedures, was false.
STELCO also noted that the climatic temperatures rise from February to May every year which also reflects on energy consumption. The utility provider also stated that it continues to raise awareness among consumers to conserve and economize electrical usage during the hot season, which was done so in 2023 as well.
While STELCO welcomed constructive criticism and accountability, and further acknowledged press freedom, the utility provider bemoaned baseless allegations and rumors from the part of media and news correspondents. The utility provider had requested local media to maintain professional conduct and ethics while corresponding news to the public.