Hyderabad: The Union government on Thursday issued draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules 2020, prepared by the Ministry of Power to ensure minimum service standards to electricity consumers.
The draft specifies time limits for Discoms to give new electricity connections, for addressing grievances such as faulty meters, delayed or accumulated bills and also allows certain rebates to the consumer if the bill is delayed. The Ministry has sought comments from State governments and the public on the draft within 21 days of its publication.
“As of now, every State Commission sets the standards of performance under consumer charter-like fixed time frame for a connection. But many States do not implement them. So, any move to empower the consumer is a good sign,” power sector expert M Thimma Reddy told Telangana Today.
The draft seeks Discoms to create a web portal or mobile app for the consumer to apply for a new connection. The application is deemed to be received on the date of the generation of acknowledgment generated on submission of the application. The State Commission (ERC) has to specify a maximum period of seven days in metros, 15 days in municipal areas and 30 days in rural areas to provide new connections or modify existing connections.
Picture of the meter
The draft says that no connection shall be given without a meter and every meter must be read at least once in every billing cycle in urban as well as rural areas. If the meter is inaccessible to the meter reader on two consecutive meter reading dates, the consumer shall have the option to send the picture of the meter showing the meter reading through registered mobile phones. The Discoms must also test the meter within thirty days if the consumer registers a complaint. However, no test fee must be charged from the consumer.
Billing and payment
The draft stipulates that the distribution company shall prepare the bill for every billing cycle based on actual meter reading and the bill shall be delivered to the consumer by hand or post or through any other electronic media at least 10 days prior to the due date. “If any bill is served with a delay of a period of sixty days or more, the consumer should get a rebate of 2 to 5 per cent as specified by the State commission.
With regard to payment of the bills, it was proposed that the consumer must pay online all the bills above Rs 1000. The consumer will be allowed to pay in advance if due to any reason he or she can’t be in town to pay the bill in time. However, the Discom has to pay interest to the consumer for the advance paid as per the directions of the commission.
Consumer as prosumer
While prosumers will maintain consumer status and have the same rights as the general consumer, they will also have the right to set up Renewable Energy (RE) generation units including rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, either through himself or through a service provider. However, the total RE generation must not exceed the limit as prescribed by the commission.
