BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) has clarified that monthly bills should not be generated on prorated basis for regular consumers. This clarification of OERC came in the wake of complaints from consumers that the distribution companies are billing on different dates instead of raising the bill on the first day of every month.
Interpreting Regulation 148 of the OERC Distribution (Conditions of Supply) Code, 2019, the OERC said that the pro-rata billing should be adopted only in cases when supply to a new consumer commenced or an agreement is terminated on a day other than the first day of a month.
“Pro-rata billing should not be adopted in other cases including the case of spot billing as provided under Regulation 147 of the OERC Distribution (Conditions of Supply) Code, 2019,” said the Commission said adding, that the bills only be raised as per the slab-rates notified in the retail tariff order.
Regulation 148 of the distribution code said, “The charges payable by a consumer for supply of electrical power and other sums payable to the licensee/supplier shall be billed on a pro-rata monthly basis indicating the period for which charges have been levied.”
It further said that when supply to a new consumer is commenced or an agreement is terminated on a day other than the first day of a month, demand charges and other charges as applicable under tariff notification shall be levied pro-rata for the number of days during the month for which supply shall have been given or agreement shall have been in force.
The Commission has further directed the four Tata Power-owned distribution companies (Discoms) to strictly adhere to Regulation 109 which said among other things that meters shall normally be read on fixed date plus three working days for the monthly billing cycle till the introduction of the smart or pre-paid meter.
In the past few months, the issue of pro-rata billing adopted by the power distribution companies (DISCOMS) was objected by some consumers who expressed their discontentment at different forums.