KOCHI: Residents across the state have been fuming over exorbitant power bills at a time when people are struggling to make both ends meet. According to the KSEB, the recording of meter reading was delayed due to lockdown restrictions which led to consumers getting exorbitant bills. As consumption goes up, the slab of tariff changes which has reflected in the bills. Dismissing KSEB’s arguments, consumers point out that the bill amount is thrice the normal rate which defies logic.
“The lockdown has left daily wagers like me jobless and we are struggling to survive. The government is distributing food kits as the authorities are aware of our plight. However, the KSEB has been insensitive to the plight of the common man or how else they can slap a power bill double the usual rate,” says John, an auto driver in Kochi.
The KSEB says the bill amount has gone up because consumption went up during the two-month-long lockdown. In many areas where the workers could not record meter reading due to the lockdown restrictions, the bill amount was calculated based on the average power consumption during the past three months. However, consumers allege that there were anomalies in the preparation of the power bill.
“My average bimonthly power consumption is 870 units and I receive a bill of around `6,000. However, I was shocked when I received a bill of `18,000 this time. Almost all of the 100-odd residents in our apartment complex in Kaloor (Kochi) have received exorbitant bills and the amount is double or three times the normal rate,” said Mohammed Shah, a lawyer practising at the Kerala High Court.
“The KSEB claims that they had taken the meter readings on March 24. But that is not true. The last reading was taken on January 24. As the lockdown started on March 24, the staff didn’t visit our house to record meter reading and the average consumption for the previous three readings was taken to calculate the consumption. I got a bill for 900 units in March and I paid the amount. The KSEB prepared a bill for consumption of 3,000 units from January 24 and deducted 900 units from it. The tariff rises steeply after 1,000 unit which has led to the steep rise in the bill amount,” said Mohammed Shah.
KSEB blames high usage
Refuting allegations of exorbitant power bills, KSEB chairman NS Pillai said the bill amount has increased as people have consumed more power during the lockdown days. “People were staying indoors during the two-month lockdown and, as it is summer, the fans and air-conditioners are running for more hours than usual. The tariff changes with consumption. For example, the tariff for one unit of power is Rs 6.40 for 151 to 200 units. But if the consumer has used 201 units, the slab changes and the tariff will be Rs 7.60 per unit. So, the bill amount for 200 units will be Rs 1,280 but the amount will rise to Rs 1,528 if the consumption is 201 units,” he said.
The KSEB chief accepted that recording of meter reading was delayed in some areas due to the lockdown. “In some areas, recording of bimonthly reading has been delayed and the bill amount has gone up as the number of days exceeds 60 days. In such cases, the power tariff slab changes leading to increase in bill amount. The consumers can approach the assistant engineer of the section who will address their grievances,” said Pillai.