The Magiagi village council in Samoa has allowed meter readers from the Electric Power Corporation to read the power units of each household in the village.
The move will verify the exact amount of money that 200 families in the village owe to the corporation in the 14 years they have not paid their power bills.
The village is disputing the reported figure of 10 million US dollars.
The reading of meters started on Tuesday with some 100 police officers, some in riot gear, led by the police commissioner and his assistants.
They were providing security for the EPC employees.
However the operation was put on hold for several hours after some villagers tried to stop them from entering their homes.
A meeting was then called and police then accepted a request by the village chief for a majority of the police officers to withdraw.
Only five police officer remained to provide security for the EPC workers.
The Police Commissioner, Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo, says the task should be completed by the end of the week.
