Maharashtra Tells Energy Corporations In Mumbai To Resolve Defective Invoice Complaints

Mumbai:

Folks in Mumbai, together with celebrities, have been left shocked by this month’s exorbitant electrical energy invoice and have accused the ability corporations of issuing inflated invoices.

The declare has been dismissed by personal and state-run electrical energy corporations, who mentioned the payments have been primarily based on precise meter readings, in contrast to those despatched throughout the coronavirus lockdown when invoice quantities have been primarily based on aggregates of earlier billing cycle – February-March.

Although the state minister for power had assured that energy corporations weren’t dishonest individuals, the Chief Minister’s Workplace immediately mentioned it has directed energy corporations to transparently resolve all complaints.

“Taking inventory of the rising variety of client complaints associated to exorbitant electrical energy payments, the Maharashtra Electrical energy Regulatory Fee (MERC) has directed energy corporations to point out transparency in its billing procedures and redress the buyer complaints instantly,” the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Workplace mentioned.

Taking inventory of the rising variety of client complaints associated to exorbitant electrical energy payments, Maharashtra Electrical energy Regulatory Fee (MERC) has directed energy corporations to point out transparency in its billing procedures and redress the buyer complaints instantly.

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 30, 2020

Actor Taapsee Pannu shared a picture of her energy invoice, which was Rs 36,000, and wrote “three months of lockdown and I ponder what equipment(s) I’ve newly used or purchased within the condo solely final month to have such an insane rise in my electrical energy invoice”

“What sort of energy are you charging us for?” she requested tagging Adani Electrical energy. She additionally mentioned that her invoice for the months of April and Might was simply Rs four,000.

And this one is for an condo the place nobody stays n it is solely visited as soon as in every week for cleansing objective @Adani_Elec_Mum I’m now apprehensive if somebody is definitely utilizing the condo with out our information and you’ve got helped us uncover the fact ????????‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/GeBQUSJaft

— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) June 28, 2020

Actor Huma Qureshi additionally suffered the same shock when she bought a invoice of Rs 50,000 this month in comparison with Rs 6,000 final month.

Not simply the celebrities, the widespread man has additionally voiced their concern over excessive electrical energy payments.

Anand Malepu, who stays in a one room-kitchen unit in Mumbai’s Prabhadevi space, mentioned his invoice this month was four instances larger than final month’s.

“I have never used as a lot electrical energy as I did final month. Even when I did, the invoice ought to have been twice as excessive. My Might invoice was Rs 860, however now it has come to Rs three,420, which is 4 instances larger,” Mr Malepu mentioned, including that he makes use of a mean of 120 items of energy every month.

Rajan Sawant, whose electrical energy is provided by BEST or The Brihanmumbai Electrical Provide and Transport Endeavor, bought a invoice of Rs 5,190. This, in accordance with him, is once more 4 instances of what he was billed in April and Might.

“That is an uncommon invoice quantity. It has by no means been this excessive. So, I request the BEST to let me know what’s the break-up of the invoice and what are the items of consumption,” Mr Sawant mentioned.

All energy suppliers in Mumbai-BEST, Tata Energy, Adani Electrical energy and the Maharashtra State Electrical energy Distribution Firm Restricted – have despatched higher-than-average payments, however deny inflating them.

In line with the suppliers, the payments despatched over final three months have been decrease than common as a result of their employees couldn’t learn the meters throughout the lockdown in Mumbai, which has been hit arduous by the unfold of extremely infectious COVID-19 illness.

They mentioned they issued payments primarily based on common consumption for January and February – the winter months when energy consumption is decrease.

However now, corporations mentioned, their workers have began the method of studying meters and the payments are being adjusted to mirror true consumption.

In an announcement, Tata Energy mentioned the directive obtained from the federal government in view of the pandemic-necessitated lockdown recommended they proceed billing customers on the premise of final month’s consumption (i.e. Feb / Mar 20).

“Submit Unlock 1.zero, we’ve resumed meter studying exercise and payments are being generated primarily based on precise readings. The ultimate invoice is raised after adjusting consumption and invoice quantity as per the estimated payments raised within the interim interval (sic),” the assertion mentioned.

The Maharashtra State Electrical energy Distribution Firm Restricted additionally issued an announcement.

“Our meter readers have began visiting residential areas to notice down readings. This can take note of the consumption from March to Might. Folks have been billed much less as no meter readings have been happening throughout this era. Folks have been charged on a mean foundation. However now the invoice shall be larger,” an official of the state-run energy firm mentioned.

Earlier this week, Maharashtra Power Minister Nitin Raut additionally mentioned, “Energy corporations will not be dishonest individuals. The truth is, the state discom suffered losses as a result of many individuals haven’t been capable of pay their payments and we couldn’t cost primarily based on precise meter.”

Whereas earlier months’ payments could have been decrease than common and never reflective of precise consumption, individuals in Mumbai have urged energy corporations to not search lumpsum fee, particularly in these instances of pandemic-induced financial hardship.