Electricity bill of Rs 7 lakh leaves Karnataka house owner shocked; Mescom admits ‘error’, issues revised bill
The Ullal-based consumer said that his electricity bill showed that 99,338 units of electricity were consumed and the bill was Rs 7.7 lakh.
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Acharya and his wife, who normally get a monthly bill of around Rs 3,000, were in disbelief when they got a power bill of Rs 7 lakh. (Express photo) Sky-high electricity bills in Karnataka for the month of May have shocked many consumers. The situation of Sadashiva Acharya, an Ullal-based house owner, is no different. Acharya and his wife, who normally get a monthly power bill of around Rs 3,000, were in total disbelief when they got a power bill of Rs 7 lakh. This comes at a time when the state government has announced free electricity up to 200 units to every household in Karnataka.
However, the Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Mescom) that issued the bill amounting to a whopping Rs 7,71,072 has confirmed about “the error” on its part. Acharya got his revised bill of Rs 2,833 Thursday afternoon.
Mescom, that issued the bill amounting to a whopping Rs 7,71,072, has confirmed about “the error” on its part.
“Bill collection is done through agencies. This (Acharya’s) electricity bill was wrongly printed due to the error of the bill reader. If there is an error in the electricity bill, it cannot be given to the customer. A revised bill is now being issued to Acharya,” said Ullal’s MESCOM sub-division executive A Dayanada.
“The electricity bill showed that 99,338 units of electricity were consumed and the bill was Rs 7.7 lakh. Earlier, we used to get a monthly bill of only Rs 3,000. However, this month’s bill was shock of our life,” said Acharya after reporting the issue to MESCOM.
Free electricity up to 200 units was one of the major poll promises made by the ruling Congress as part Gruha Jyoti scheme. However, with the increase in power tariffs being effective from April, many households are receiving exorbitant electricity bills.
Electricity has got costlier after the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission approved electricity supply companies’ proposals that as per a May 12 tariff order, a hike of 70 paise per unit has to be levied in June. Besides, the authorities have said that arrears of 70 paise per unit pertaining to April will also be added to the bills in June. “Consequently, the FPPCA (Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment) charge of Rs 1.49 per unit will also be levied in June and Rs 1.81 per unit is carried forward to July. Thus, there will be an overall increase in tariff for June by Rs 2.89/ unit,” said an officer.
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