The Consumer Forum, Mandi, has directed the Managing Director, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) Ltd, Superintending Engineer, HPSEB Ltd, Sundernagar Division, and Assistant Executive Engineer, HPSEB Electrical Sub-Division, Kangoo, to replace the burnt meter and not to disconnect electricity of the complainant.
The forum also ordered quashing of two exorbitant bills issued to the complainant and directed to raise fresh bill of the electricity on basis of average of the past one year till the new meter was not installed on the premises of the complainant.
The forum further ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 3,000 for the harassment caused to the complainant.
Complainant Ravi Kumar, a resident of Alsoo village under Sundernagar subdivision had been regularly paying electricity bills raised by the HPSEB. In the month of March 2014, he received a bill for Rs 10,428, whereas he had not consumed this much energy. He had requested employees of the electricity board several times to correct the bill and check the meter. The complainant afterward received a bill on June 16, 2014, amounting Rs 21,641 (earlier amount was also included in the bill). He once again requested the HPSEB staff to replace the meter and to reassess the bill, but on June 30, 2014, the officials issued the orders to disconnect the electricity. So, the complainant filed a complaint before the Consumer Forum, Mandi, for reassessing the bill and for awarding the compensation.
The consumer forum passed the interim order not to disconnect the electricity. The opposite parties contested the complaint on the ground that the complainant had been using load more than the sanctioned and further tempered with the meter as a result, it was burnt.
The forum held that the increase in load did not mean increase in consumption. Furthermore, it held that when the defect in the meter was brought in to the notice of the board, it should have got it tested, but in the present case, neither the meter was tested nor the test report had been produced before the forum.
So, the consumer forum held that the issuance of escalated bills was wrong. It ordered quashing of the two bills issued to the complainant and further directed that till the new meter was installed on the premises of the complainant, the bill be issued on the average basis of the last one year.
The forum further ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 3,000 to the complainant.
The forum also ordered quashing of two exorbitant bills issued to the complainant and directed to raise fresh bill of the electricity on basis of average of the past one year till the new meter was not installed on the premises of the complainant.
The forum further ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 3,000 for the harassment caused to the complainant.
Complainant Ravi Kumar, a resident of Alsoo village under Sundernagar subdivision had been regularly paying electricity bills raised by the HPSEB. In the month of March 2014, he received a bill for Rs 10,428, whereas he had not consumed this much energy. He had requested employees of the electricity board several times to correct the bill and check the meter. The complainant afterward received a bill on June 16, 2014, amounting Rs 21,641 (earlier amount was also included in the bill). He once again requested the HPSEB staff to replace the meter and to reassess the bill, but on June 30, 2014, the officials issued the orders to disconnect the electricity. So, the complainant filed a complaint before the Consumer Forum, Mandi, for reassessing the bill and for awarding the compensation.
The consumer forum passed the interim order not to disconnect the electricity. The opposite parties contested the complaint on the ground that the complainant had been using load more than the sanctioned and further tempered with the meter as a result, it was burnt.
The forum held that the increase in load did not mean increase in consumption. Furthermore, it held that when the defect in the meter was brought in to the notice of the board, it should have got it tested, but in the present case, neither the meter was tested nor the test report had been produced before the forum.
So, the consumer forum held that the issuance of escalated bills was wrong. It ordered quashing of the two bills issued to the complainant and further directed that till the new meter was installed on the premises of the complainant, the bill be issued on the average basis of the last one year.
The forum further ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 3,000 to the complainant.
