If you are one of those who felt your electricity bill was on the higher side last month, you are one among the 80,000 consumers of Adani Electricity whose bills were based on average basis and not on actual meter reading.
It is reliably learnt that of the 27 lakh consumers, some 80,000 consumers had received bills for September on an average basis as the meter readers along with other employees were on strike before the Adani Electricity took over Reliance Infrastructure's Mumbai distribution business from August 29. Besides, the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission had also revised the tariff effective from September 1 on the petition filed by Reliance Infrastructure before handing over its Mumbai distribution business to Adani Electricity.
As per the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) regulations, the distribution company can send average bills taking into account last three months average and in the subsequent month adjust the bill so that it does not cross the electricity consumption slab limit comprising 0-100, 100-300, 300-500 and 500 and above.
Adani Electricity spokesperson told DNA,'' When the changeover happened on August 29, there was an on-going internal agitation, owing to past issues because of which meters could not be read for 5 days. Accordingly, billing during such period was done based on last three months average consumption as per MERC guidelines. During this period, Adani Electricity has voluntarily extended the due dates of bill by five days and also empowered its esteemed customers with an option to "read your own meter".
Further, the spokesperson said the company revised the bills for the customers who sent their meter readings. ''Customers which were billed on average consumption basis were given credit in subsequent billing cycle based on the actual meter reading including the slab benefit. Therefore, all the consumers were subsequently billed on actual metered consumption only," he added.
The spokesperson however, claimed that the Adani Electricity rates were cheaper compared to Tata Power in most of the consumer categories. The company was receiving numbers of applications for shifting from Tata Power to Adani Electricity.
Consumer activist Ashok Pendse said non-availability of current month's reading is a regular phenomenon with three crore electricity consumers in the state. ''In respect of Adani Electricity, such reading may not be available due to reasons known to them. The company might have taken last three months average reading which is permissible as per MERC regulations," Pendse said.
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Adani Electricity spokesperson told DNA,'' When the changeover happened on August 29, there was an on-going internal agitation, owing to past issues because of which meters could not be read for 5 days. Accordingly, billing during such period was done based on last three months average consumption as per MERC guidelines. During this period, Adani Electricity has voluntarily extended the due dates of bill by five days and also empowered its esteemed customers with an option to "read your own meter".
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