The Haryana Right to Service (RTS) Commission has taken a strict stance against power distribution companies for the practice of issuing electricity bills on an “average basis” for extended periods, followed by sudden, exorbitant “one-time” bills. Terming this “serious administrative negligence,” the Commission has ordered compensation for affected consumers.
Key Cases Highlighted
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Bahadurgarh Case (UHBVN):
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The Issue: A consumer either received no bills or “negative bills” for a long period, only to be suddenly slapped with a bill of approximately ₹2.38 lakh.
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Negligence: The Commission found that officials failed to provide mandatory prior notice or the minimum 30-day payment period as per the Electricity Supply Code, 2014.
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Action: Exercising its penal powers, the Commission fined two officials ₹5,000 each. It further ordered that the consumer be paid additional compensation of ₹500 for each wrongly issued billing cycle since July 2022.
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Hisar Case (DHBVN):
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The Issue: A consumer’s two accounts were billed on an average basis (approx. 160 units) from March 2020 to February 2024. Suddenly, one account showed consumption of 45,000 units (Bill: >₹3 lakh) and the other 20,000 units (Bill: ₹98,000).
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Action: The Commission deemed the previous compensation of ₹1,000 inadequate. It directed that the consumer be paid ₹500 per incorrect bill for both accounts.
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Commission’s Directive
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Payment Source: The compensation amounts will initially be paid by the respective power corporations (UHBVN/DHBVN) from their own funds. The corporations may later recover these amounts from the erring agencies or officials.
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Policy Shift: The Commission has urged the Managing Directors of both corporations to formulate a clear policy to prevent such harassment of consumers in the future.
