Dear Editor,

G.P.L. is the only business organisation that I know that is asking its customers to conserve on the use of the product (electricity) it has for sale. As far as I know the more or higher sales a company, manufacturer or service provider can amass the higher or greater the profit is likely to be.

The power company on one hand through the print and electronic media is asking consumers to conserve on the use of electricity. However it has been observed that when there is a significant drop in the amount of electricity some consumers consumed as a result of conservation, the first thing the power company does is to accuse the consumer of ‘meter tampering’. I have never heard the power company investigating a consumer whose electricity charges have risen significantly as those increases might be as a result of a faulty watt hour meter. I have known of several meters which are installed on consumers’ premises that are faulty and are still allowed to function.

Firstly, a substantial amount of these meters are operating without the main breaker which is located in the meter box. This component seems to be the first part to malfunction and as a result has to be by-passed to allow current to flow through the meter. Secondly there are examples where it has been confirmed that the rotating discs of some meters rotate even though no load has been applied to them. Thirdly the rotating discs on some meters have been found to be revolving anti-clockwise while the counter is moving clockwise.

I would like to know if these meters are inspected, tested and calibrated by the Bureau of Standards before they are delivered to GPL. The consumers ought to be shown that the seals on these meters are intact and not tampered with whenever the meters are to be installed. To do otherwise is an infringement because consumers can very well be accused of committing meter tampering on an already defective meter.

Yours faithfully,

D. Carryl