‘Inflated’ power bills shock consumers in Puducherry

The Electricity Department maintained that consumption is higher in summer months as the use of air-conditioners increases.
| Photo Credit: KUMAR SS

Several consumers in the city were in for a shock when they received extremely high electricity bills for May from the Puducherry Electricity Department.

While most people expected an increase in their bills due to extended usage of air-conditioners during summer, they were taken aback after finding that the tariff had nearly doubled when compared to the previous bill cycle.

In some cases, the bills were for more than ₹13,000. Puducherry has nearly 4 lakh residential power consumers.

Many took to social media to air out their confusion about seeing over a 50% increase in their monthly bills from the Department.

P. Sivakumar, a senior citizen of Vaithikuppam, got a shock when he received a bill of ₹13,900 for one month’s usage in May. Normally, his bill comes up to ₹500 to ₹600.

“My flat has an air-conditioner and refrigerator and the normal consumption is around 250 to 300 units per month. The bill has come as a shock. Though I have paid the bill amount, I have decided to monitor the meter reading and daily consumption,” he said.

C. Karthikeyan, who stays in Kamban Nagar in Reddiyarpalayam, said that in April, he paid a bill of ₹3,022. However, this time around, the electricity bill shot up to ₹7,174.

The Electricity Department maintained that consumption is higher in summer months as the use of air-conditioners increases. However, consumers are unhappy with the sudden increase in the bills.

“The current bills have suddenly doubled. Last month, my bill was ₹700 and this month it is ₹2,064. They have also put fixed charges of ₹378 in addition to the surcharge. This is a burden on the common man,” said S. Ayappan, a resident of Thattanchavady.

K. Ravi, a senior citizen took strong exception to the inflated power bills for domestic consumers. It has been a manifold increase, and hefty bills would drain the financial resources of poor people, dislocating their livelihood, he said.

An official in the Electricity Department said the billing system was automated and that there was no scope for any mistake. The bills consumption for April and May was higher due to increased consumption as it was summer, he claimed.

A regulatory surcharge of 10% is applicable to all categories of consumers and an increase of 7 to 10% in the bill is expected and anything beyond that could be due to discrepancies in the meter. Residents could write to the department and the complaints would be individually verified, he added.