PSPCL told to set aside inflated bill of over Rs49K

Tribune News Service

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Kapurthala, November 27

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to set aside an inflated bill of Rs 49,700 and pay Rs 22,000 to a consumer for causing her mental harassment.

In her complaint, Keerti, a resident of Lahori Gate, said she had been regularly paying the electricity bill amount, the average consumption of which was Rs 3371. Keerti said she received an inflated bill on October 20, 2018 for Rs 7,780. It was shocking for her as there was sudden jump of 1,330 units in the meter reading. She said that she immediately approached the office of PSPCL. She got an assurance but to her surprise, nothing was done by the official to resolve the issue and as such the complainant was forced to deposit the entire amount in January 2019.

She said that she was in for a bigger shock when she received the bill of Rs 49,700 on February 22, 2019. It is pertinent to mention here that the bill mentioned P code which denotes sudden high jump in the meter reading.

The complainant moved an application to the concerned JE and even SDO but did not get any positive response. The PSPCL officials agreed that the complainant’s average consumption was Rs 3,371. They said that she did not deposit the bill after September 2018 and it was for the period 20/10/2018 to 22/2/2019 that her outstanding amount was Rs 49,700. The forum found that if this was the bill for four months, the average was Rs 5,909 units which again higher.

The forum checked various bills. In the bill for December 2017, the units consumed by the complainant had been shown as 306. Similarly, 325 units were consumed in February 2018, 340 units in April 2018, 645 units in June 2018, 394 units in August 2018, 1,330 units in October 2018, 375 units in December 2018, 5,909 units in February 2019, 573 units in April 2019. “How all of a sudden 5,909 units were consumed? So from all angles, it is established that meter of the complainant was defective one and it took a jump due to which the reading increased.

The complainant was not liable to pay for these units. There is deficiency in service and the complainant was harassed.

The forum set aside the bill amounting to Rs 49,700. It allowed Punjab State Power Corporation Limited to recover further consumption charges and expenses as per law from the complainant after the period of February 2019. It also asked the officials to pay to the complainant Rs 22,000 for causing harassment.