Chongqing Gas Incident Sparks Concern Over Gas Meter Fraud in Chengdu
As the Chongqing gas incident continues to unfold, residents of Chengdu are once again raising questions about the rapid increase in gas meter readings and soaring charges after gas meter replacements. Recent investigations in Chengdu and Chongqing have been met with skepticism from the public regarding the official handling of the situation.
On April 20th, the Chengdu Market Supervision Administration issued a notification stating that since April, the 12345 hotline in Chengdu had received a total of 1996 complaints related to gas issues by the 19th. Chengdu has deployed a joint investigation team to conduct inquiries into Chengdu Gas Group and other gas companies.
The notification from Chengdu acknowledges issues within gas companies, including “estimating instead of actual meter reading” and “poor service awareness in resolving public complaints,” and has directed these companies to refund any overcharged gas fees. However, authorities do not acknowledge the public’s concerns about issues such as gas meter measurement and quality, gas quality, and remote manipulation altering gas meter readings.
The notification from Chengdu echoes that of Chongqing. On the evening of April 19th, a joint investigation team in Chongqing issued a notification admitting to the problems reported by citizens regarding overcharging of gas fees by Chongqing Gas Group and other gas companies, including issues like “estimating instead of actual meter reading.”
In addition to dismissing the party secretary’s position at Chongqing Gas Group, the authorities also denied the public’s suspicions of issues like gas meter measurement and quality, gas quality, and manipulating gas meter readings through remote control. However, the public remains unconvinced by the authorities’ handling of the situation, accusing them of “protecting their own interests.”
An article published on Baidu’s website on April 20th raised doubts, stating, “The whole press conference gives the impression that stupidity has opened the door to more stupidity. I am confused. Why the sudden increase in gas fees? How much is the additional charge? How will fees be collected in the future? None of the questions that concern everyone have been answered. Instead of addressing our concerns, they have only deepened our confusion.”
The article went on to mock, saying, “This reaction is like that of an indulgent father. When the child gets into trouble, he picks up a big stick, raises it up high, gently lowers it, then pats the child’s head saying: ‘Won’t happen again next time.’ Not even the kids want to be scared by it.”
Reports from Securities Times, Da Wan News, and Jiemian News have highlighted that since April, many residents in various districts and counties in Chongqing city have reported a significant increase in gas costs after the installation of smart gas meters, despite similar usage patterns, leading to suspicions of meter manipulation. In recent days, residents in several cities in Sichuan Province, including Chengdu, have raised similar concerns, with continuous complaints being lodged.
On April 17th, renowned playwright Li Yaling raised questions after noticing unusual readings on the gas meter at her home in Chengdu.
Li Yaling shared on social media that from January 13th to March 9th, while she and her mother were in Hainan for the winter, they were not in Chengdu for nearly two months. However, during that period, there was a gas usage of over 500 cubic meters at her Chengdu home, resulting in a gas bill of nearly a thousand yuan. Upon raising the issue within the homeowner group, many others also discovered similar problems with their gas meters.
A resident of Tianfu New Area in Chengdu reported that after spending three months in the United States, he returned home to find a gas bill of over two thousand yuan. Another neighbor compared payment invoices from March-April last year to this year and found a 50% increase in gas costs under similar usage.
Similarly impacted by exorbitant gas fees was Ms. Fan, living in Longquanyi District. She stated that despite her family working outside, with their house in Longquanyi District’s Dongshan International New City rarely being occupied, their gas bill skyrocketed to 15,000 yuan in the winter of 2022, almost three to four times higher than in previous years.
Furthermore, Mr. Tang, residing in the Interlaken community in Shuangliu District, Chengdu, also witnessed a significant increase in gas charges after the replacement of his gas meter in the latter half of 2022. He requested to revert to the original meter, but the gas company refused. Many neighbors faced similar situations, with a rise in issues in 2023, prompting numerous visits to the Chengdu Wenjiang Natural Gas Co., Ltd. seeking explanations, with “almost daily visits” reported.
Prior to this, many residents in several districts and counties in Chongqing also reported a doubling of gas fees after the installation of smart gas meters, suggesting potential manipulation by gas companies, resulting in ongoing controversies.
On April 12th, Chongqing gas company released a statement affirming the newly installed meters as “qualified” without measurement inaccuracies. However, amid heightened public scrutiny, the Chongqing municipal government established a joint investigation team. Many residents noticed their gas bills “slowing down” and returning to normal.
It’s worth noting that on March 4th, the financial performance announcement of the Chongqing gas company revealed a significant surge in operational revenue exceeding one billion yuan for the first time in 2023, with a staggering 824% increase in net profit in the fourth quarter compared to the previous year. This sudden profit surge raised suspicions among local residents, linking it to potential meter “speeding.”
According to reports from Qilu Evening News and Jinan Daily, the shareholders behind Chongqing Gas Company and Chengdu Gas Group are the same – China Resources Gas Investment (China) Co., Ltd. China Resources Gas is a subsidiary of the state-owned enterprise China Resources Group and one of the largest urban gas operators in China.
Affected by the gas incident, the stock price of China Resources Gas has seen continuous declines since April 12th.
Moreover, in response to public doubts about gas meter “speeding,” a mainland media personality released a video alleging that gas companies were injecting corrosive gas into the gas supply, posing significant dangers. However, the authenticity of this claim could not be confirmed by Epoch Times journalists.
Editor: Sun Yun#