Hyderabad: According to the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL), there has been no error in the billing part but rather mass confusion among consumers. During the last three months, domestic power has increased due to which the slab rate has increased.
Clarifying the doubts about irregularities in the recent electricity bills, TSPDCL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Raghuma Reddy said, “There is no fault in the billing. The bill is more this time around simply due to increased consumption with the slab rate. This is a yearly phenomenon during the summer.”
Every year during March, April and May the overall domestic power consumption goes up by 39 per cent thereby augmenting the slab rate.
Besides, Raghuma stated, “Due to the lockdown, people have mostly stayed at home. In fact, my household consumption is 15 per cent more than that of last year’s.”
He also said that 40 per cent of its consumers have not paid the bill; therefore, their slab rate has changed. “In March, 67 per cent of its consumers paid the bill, in April 44 per cent did and in May 68 per cent paid the bill. On average, only 60 per cent of our domestic consumers paid the bill in the last three months.”
TSSPDCL’s meters can only generate a bill that shows the quantity of consumption for one month and not more. For this reason, consumers who have seen a shift in the slab rate can pay the amount by adjusting it with a three-month average. Consumers can also choose to pay in installments but there will be an interest rate of 1.5 per cent. They have to pay the amount on the printed bill, the official said.
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