Inflated EB bill shocks Perumbakkam residents

CHENNAI: Sumathi (name changed) was shocked when she received an SMS from Tangedco to pay an electricity bill of Rs 9,300 for December- January.

She lives in a 300 sq ft tenement built by the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board at Perumbakkam with one fan, a tubelight, a TV and a refrigerator. Her previous bimonthly bill was a mere Rs 130.

She and her husband are daily wagers. “There is no way we could have consumed so much electricity,” she said.

Sumathi got the SMS on Feb 3 stating that the due date for the bill falls on February 6 itself. She said that the assessor has entered the metre reading wrongly. “When we checked the metre, it showed a total reading of 10,192 units but the assessor entered it as 11,260,” she said.

She was billed Rs 9,300 for 1,250 units while her actual consumption was about 180 units which would cost Rs 180.

Not only Sumathi, but many people living in tenements complained of inflated bills, said S Govindan, president, Innayum Kaigal AB Block Tenement Resident’s Welfare Board. “Around 20 people have complained about high EB bills not commensurate with their consumption pattern. Assessors are not coming here to take a metre reading on a particular date. Sometimes, they fail to enter the reading on the white card forcing the consumers to travel all the way to the Tangedco section office to check it. Or, pay at the internet centre to check the charges,” he rued.

He demanded that Tangedco depute its staff to collect the bill at the Perumbakkam tenements branch office every day. “Now they’re collecting the bills weekly for two days. Considering the huge population, they should open the counter every day,” he said. “Tangedco must convert the overhead power lines into underground cables to avoid electrocution.”

Local Tangedco officials were unavailable for comment.