Tangedco told to review power consumption charges during meter defective period
According to consumer D Dinesh Babu, he was charged Rs 7,800 as consumption charges for June-July 2024, while he claimed that power consumption was less as there were few people in the residence
Tangedco
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu electricity ombudsman has directed Tangedco to recalculate the energy consumption charges after a city-based consumer complained of irregularity in calculation during the metre defective period.
According to consumer D Dinesh Babu, he was charged Rs 7,800 as consumption charges for June-July 2024, while he claimed that power consumption was less as there were few people in the residence. He also added that Tangedco personnel did not clarify how the tariff was calculated.
The consumer said that he paid an electricity bill of Rs 1,151 for the February-March period. “For the next bi-monthly period, the metre became defective with no display and I had intimated the officials. I was asked to pay Rs 4,280 though the metre was not changed,” he said.
Despite his argument that the number of people living in the house was less compared to the previous year, he was asked to pay the due amount on time, he pointed out. A new meter was fixed a week before the end of the bi-monthly period of June-July and he got an energy consumption charge of Rs 7,665, he said, claiming that he petitioned against the excessive charging to the Adambakkam section office.
Claiming that after the new metre was fixed, the average daily consumption was only eight to nine units a day, Dinesh said, “If this was taken into account, the bi-monthly billing would have come down to 540 units from 1084 units.”
However, Tangedco officials claimed that the consumer was charged as per the Tamil Nadu Electricity Supply codes 11 (2) and 11 (5).
While dismissing the consumer's argument on less number of residents, the Ombudsman said that the supply code has no such provision to calculate power consumption based on the number of residents.
“But Tangedco should calculate the energy consumption for the defective period based on the supply code 11 (5) that states assessment should be made based on a consecutive four-month period during the preceding 12 months when the working conditions were the same. “Any excess collection of the charges should be adjusted in subsequent bills,” it said.