There is no truth in the apprehensions being expressed by consumers on social media that they are being charged ‘excess’ tariff for the months of April and May, A.P. Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) chairperson S. Nagalakshmi said on Friday, adding that billing was done as in the past.
Dismissing the claims being made on social media regarding excess billing, Ms. Nagalakshmi said at a press meet here on Friday that electricity bills were not issued in April in view of the restrictions imposed due to the lockdown and to ensure the safety of consumers. The consumers were asked to pay the same amount that they had paid in March as their bill for the month of April.
“Though the meter reading was taken for two months, the units were divided for the two months separately and the billing was done accordingly. The billing details have been uploaded online and consumers can check by entering their 16-digit service connection number,” Ms. Nagalakshmi said. “If the bill was issued on March 5, the billing was done for 25 days of March, 30 days of April and the remaining for the first five days in May,” she said.
The CMD said that the tariff has been revised with effect from April 1 but there was no change in the slab rate except for those who have consumed more than 500 units a month. These consumers would be charged ₹9.95 a unit, which was an additional 90 paise per unit as compared to the tariff before revision.
When her attention was drawn to consumers, getting bills for April which were more than thrice of what they had paid during the previous month, she said that the hot summer months of April and May normally see a steep rise in consumption of electricity. The lockdown due to COVID-19, and people staying at home, has resulted in further increase in consumption, she said.
Mr. Nagalakshmi appealed to consumers to log on to the website www.apepdcl.com , enter their service connection number and view their previous bills. She said that the last date for payment of the bill for May has been extended to June 30.
Consumers having any complaint regarding their bills can call on the toll-free number 1912 and get their grievances addressed.
