Lucknow, May 31 -- : The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission's (UPERC) clarification that consumers are free to choose between prepaid and postpaid smart electricity meters has created a fresh operational challenge for the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), which may now have to manage two parallel billing systems across the state.

In a communication issued to UPPCL on Friday, UPERC clarified that neither the Electricity Act, 2003, nor the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, make prepaid smart meters mandatory. The regulator said consumers have the right to opt for either prepaid or postpaid billing while using smart meters.

The clarification comes against the backdrop of a prolonged controversy over...