Don’t harass residents over common supply, Tangedco tells staff

In the 2017 tariff order, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has mandated separate power supply for common lighting, water supply and lift used by the residents alone in the domestic category, while other common facilities such as gymnasium, community hall and amphitheatre should be given separate power connection under the commercial tariff category. In case of more than one block, separate connection should be given to each block.

After receiving several complaints over the issue, the commission wrote to the chairman and managing director of Tangedco on December 30, pointing to field officials violating its tariff order. The residents of the multi tenements complex allege that the Tangedco field officials harass them for unsegregated common facilities by changing the tariff to commercial category and penalising them.

In its latest circular, Tangedco said that even though segregation of electricity wiring for the common usages lies with the consumer, the onus partially lies with the Tangedco regarding metering.

“Even the time limit for electrical segregation not prescribed in the tariff order, the Tangedco cannot take advantage of it, but the consumer also is to be given adequate time for segregation of usage under low tension domestic and commercial category,” it said, advising the officials against using any coercive steps like bringing the entire common usage under the commercial category or penalising under Section 135 of the Act should be avoided.

“If the additional service connection is requested by the owner or tenants, it should be given and if only a meter is required to effect additional service connection, service line charges should not be collected,” it said.