Mumbai: After rising resentment among consumers, especially residential users over hefty power bills they have received this month, the distribution company (discom) providers like state run Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution company Ltd (MSEDCL) and private- TATA Power, Adani, BEST, have set up quick redressal cell to deal with the problem.
The MSEDCL Public Relation Official (PRO) Anil Kamble told the Free Press Journal that those who believe, they have received inflated power bills their grievance will be handled by our team of employees. "To make the process quick, our employees will conduct meetings in big cooperative housing societies by maintaining the social distancing norms and make them understand the power tariff that have been applied. While in the rural areas at district level such meeting will be held in market areas or other places so to create awareness. Moreover, for consumers in city webinars will also be conducted,” he informed.
Similarly, Adani Mumbai Electricity Ltd (AMEL) has its dedicated 24x7 toll free helpline 19122 where the customers can register their complaints. Besides, one can also send an email to its helpdesk.
While the Tata Power has developed a guide on its portal to allow consumers to assess additional consumption due to higher use of household appliances. The table includes all typical household appliances like fan, lights, refrigerator, television and washing machine and air-conditioner. One is required to input the number of appliances in the house and personal judgement on how much additional hours one might have used them during lockdown. The guide will indicate approximately how much the consumption would go up each day.
TATA Power believes it would help address their concern of high consumption to a great extent. In case customer who still have any questions can call on the 24x7 Helpline 19123, write to customercare@tatapower.com or visit any of its operational customer relations centre, informed TATA PR through its press release.
Reportedly there is widespread discontent among consumers over high power bills issued by these discoms. Most consumers feel that the company is overcharging. However, all discoms have clarified that due to Covid-19 pandemic, meter reading was discontinued in March (as per MERC’s directive) and has been gradually resumed from June onwards. In the absence of meter reading, electricity consumers were receiving estimated bills basis their average consumption of the previous three months (December, January and February) during the lockdown period. These are winter months with considerably lower consumption. The electricity consumption typically increases from April till onset of Monsoon. Moreover, a large number of individuals also refrained from going out, as well as worked and studied from home during this pandemic. Therefore the rise in electricity consumption was witnessed.
