The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has pulled up the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for issuing an extra electricity bill of Rs 1.36 lakh without proper records to justify the amount in a glaring case of billing negligence. The commission has also directed the power utility to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation for harassment and mental agony and Rs 10,000 towards litigation expenses.
The case relates to an electricity connection at a premises in Wariana, where a small manufacturing unit was being run by Arvind Kapoor. The connection was registered in the name of Surinder Kaur, the owner of the premises. The complainants approached the commission after PSPCL raised a further demand of Rs 1,36,062 in June 2022 for electricity consumption between November 2019 and June 2020.
They argued that electricity consumption during the period was low as production had been impacted by the COVID lockdown. They also alleged that meter readings were not taken regularly and electricity bills were not issued on time.
In its defence, PSPCL noted that they could not issue the regular bills as the electricity meter had been found burnt affecting the readings. They have replaced the meter in June 2020 but its reading was found to be invisible. The utility reassessed the electricity account and raised the extra demand following an audit.
However, the commission found that PSPCL had did not manage to offer proper records or explain how the additional amount had been calculated. The documents submitted by the utility did not establish how it had reached the alleged shortfall in electricity consumption.
Setting aside the demand, it directed PSPCL to refund or adjust the excess sum recovered including 50 per cent of the disputed sum already deposited in future bills. The utility has also been directed to issue a fresh bill in accordance with the applicable rules and complete the compliance within 45 days of receiving the order.
