Lucknow, April 10 -- Taking note of complaints regarding smart electricity meters, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed a thorough investigation into the whole issue and asked for formation of an expert committee to ascertain facts about overbilling. "The common consumer is naturally honest and, if provided with a correct bill on time, does not hesitate to pay. If the consumer is not at fault, their electricity connection should not be disconnected," the chief minister said, while carrying out a review of the energy department here on Thursday. He also asked for completing the ongoing survey for nuclear power at the earliest. He said ensuring uninterrupted, quality, and transparent power supply in the state is the state government's top priority. He said the benefits of energy sector reforms should reach the consumers and work should be carried out based on reliable supply, technical efficiency, and accountability. He said work on smart metering, reduction in line losses, digitisation of consumer services, and improvement in revenue collection should be expedited. The billing and payment system should be made more transparent and reliable and a robust system should be worked out to provide consumers with timely and accurate bills, he added. He laid emphasis on aligning the smart metering system with consumer trust and ensuring prompt and impartial resolution of complaints. He directed the energy minister and the managing director of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited to personally visit the field, inspect arrangements, and ensure swift and effective resolution of consumer issues. He said toll-free helpline numbers should remain fully active and complaints should be resolved properly within a stipulated time so that consumers do not face inconvenience. He was informed that the number of electricity consumers in the state has increased from 1.65 crore in 2017 to more than 3.71 crore in 2026, a 126% growth. He said during the same period, electricity load increased by about 80% and energy sales by 63%. Currently, total energy sales were 1.27 lakh million units, and the connected load exceeded 84,000 megawatts. Domestic consumers account for 87% of total connections, while commercial and industrial categories contribute the most to revenue. Expressing satisfaction over the improved performance of power distribution companies (discoms), he gave directives for further improvement in national ratings and strengthening of the distribution infrastructure. He said the process of transformer replacement should be expedited so that consumers do not face unnecessary inconvenience. He said wherever new electricity poles are being installed, technical standards such as pole depth, cable quality, and other specifications should be followed. The process of laying underground cables should be carried out in a more organised and accelerated manner, he added. He said regular maintenance was essential for fault-free supply. He was informed that there has been a reduction of about 80% in power transformer damage and about 48% in damage to large distribution transformers in 2025-26. More than 84 lakh smart meters have been installed and feeder metering has achieved about 95% progress. About rural areas, he said electrification should be ensured even in hamlets with a minimum of five houses. He said works related to double group supply and agricultural feeder separation should be completed within the stipulated time to address overloading issues. He said the grievance redressal systems should be further strengthened through the 1912 call centre, online portal, social media, and WhatsApp, and to implement the single window model on a wider scale. He said all thermal power generation units should be operated at full capacity and that necessary preparations should be ensured in view of summer demand. All issues related to production should be resolved within a set timeframe, he added. He was informed that the state currently has 12,247 megawatts of thermal capacity and 526.4 megawatts of hydropower capacity, and a cumulative profit of Rs.3,143 crore has been earned between 2021-22 and 2025-26. The 660 megawatt unit of Ghatampur will begin operations in April. Yogi said the new projects of 5,600 megawatts, including Meja, Obra-D, and Anpara-E, should be approved quickly and implemented within a stipulated timeframe. He asked for expediting 500-megawatt solar and 50-megawatt floating solar projects....