KOLLAM: The shock of receiving an electricity bill of nearly Rs 1 lakh left a woman hospitalised in Perappayam in Kollam, even as the KSEB later installed a parallel meter at her house to examine the alleged anomaly.
Anita, a resident of Rohini in Perappayam, was hospitalised with high blood pressure after the family received a power bill of Rs 90,586 from the KSEB Ayoor section on January 19. The bill showed a consumption of 8,827 units for a two-month period, unusually high for the three-member household that has only a single-phase connection and usually pays around Rs 1,500 a month.
Subhash, Anita’s husband, said KSEB officials recently placed a new electricity meter alongside the existing one and told them that the readings would be monitored for a week before a decision is taken. The family has decided not to remit the disputed bill and plans to submit the old meter to an authorised laboratory for testing.
Subhash told TNIE that the old meter is currently recording normal consumption levels. “KSEB officials attributed the abnormal reading to a possible case of meter jumping,” he said, stating that there were no issues related to earthing or internal wiring at the house.
Subhash said the family would pursue legal options if the issue is not resolved at the departmental level. Anita has since been discharged. He said the KSEB staff advised the family to approach officials at the Ayoor electricity office for further clarification.