The military council has officially announced that they will confiscate electricity meters from residents in Mandalay whose homes were damaged by the Sagaing earthquake on March 28 if they fail to pay their electricity bills within the specified deadline. According to the directive, residents whose homes were destroyed by the earthquake must pay their electricity bills for March and April starting from May 1, calculated based on their previous months’ usage units, without fail by the designated due dates.
A resident from Chanmyathazi Township reported that those who face difficulties paying their electricity bills will have their meters removed, and if they wish to apply for new meters in the future, they must first clear all outstanding debts in full before being allowed to reapply. Additionally, meter readers have been going door-to-door to notify residents whose homes were damaged but not completely destroyed by the earthquake that they must also pay their electricity bills without fail within the specified deadlines.
A resident from Maharaungmye Township also stated that meter readers have warned that failure to pay electricity bills within the specified period will result in penalties, and if payments are delayed beyond a month, meters will be removed. The meter readers explained that due to the increasing number of non-paying customers, they will take action according to a systematic plan. The military council has been posting warning signs and vinyl banners in Sagaing and Mandalay cities, which suffered significant damage and casualties from the earthquake, reminding residents to pay their electricity bills on time.
