Mumbai: After Public Outrage Over Inflated Bills, Adani’s AEML Promises To Adjust The Excess in Future

After being directed by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML) has started to adjust the excess money charged for electricity consumption, reports DNA. Reportedly, the AEML has admitted that they found 40,000 cases of error.

AEML has 25 lakh customers in the city. The billing amount was calculated taking an average of June, July and August months’ consumption for about 4 lakh customers as the reading of meters could not be made. About 1,10,000 complaints were filed regarding inflation of the bills by as much as 20 per cent.

AEML has decided that the excess charge would be adjusted future billing cycles. “A consumer can click a picture of his or her meter and send it to us, if (s)he feels that there is problem in billing,” a senior AEML official said.

AEML is already observing a drop in consumption. It states four reasons which could have caused the inflated bills — the major one being a strike by meter reading staff from 27 August to 1 September.

Secondly, a revised tariff schedule came into effect from First September and electricity suppliers raised tariff accordingly. Thirdly the unique phenomenon of October heat and short monsoons lead to an unexpected rise in the usage of air conditioners and coolers.

Lastly, the prices of electricity in national power exchange, from where companies procure power when demand increases, were high, with Rs 9-11 per unit than the standard Rs 2-2.5 per unit.