Chandigarh: Ombudsman directs UT to refund wrongly charged meter rental

Electricity ombudsman, joint electricity regulatory commission (JERC) has directed UT electricity department and Chandigarh Power Distribution Ltd to refund the meter rental charges wrongly charged from consumers of the department.

Ombudsman upheld the order passed by consumers grievances redressal forum (CGRF), passed on a complaint filed by SK Nayar, president, Indian Citizen’s Forum (ICF). The forum in its order dated November 26, 2024, had directed electricity department to refund the excess amount of meter rental charged from consumers with effect from April 1, 2023.

Nayar had submitted the electricity department was collecting rentals continuously in violation of the tariff orders 2023-24, effective from April 1, 2023, and 2024-25, issued on July 25, 2024, where JERC had not approved these rentals.

Seven consumers, Charanjeet Singh (two complaints), Tarlochan Singh, Chaman Lal, Komal Kumar, Satish Kumar and Ganga Prashad had submitted individual complaints to the office of sub-divisional officer (SDO), electricity, Mani Majra, seeking refund of their wrongly charged rental. They sent the copies of their complaints to the ICF for taking up the matter with the authorities concerned.

The matter was taken with the SDO by Narinder Sharma, secretary of the forum, but the grievance was not resolved.

Nayar, along with Sharma, requested the forum that along with the refund of meter rental with effect from April 1, 2023,to all electricity consumers of Chandigarh, compensation be paid to the seven complainants.

The forum observed that meter rent had been abolished by JERC vide its tariff order dated March 30, 2023, and it was surprising that the department had not taken any action to modify its software of computerised billing system to stop charging of meter rental in compliance with tariff order for 2023-24 applicable since April 1, 2023.

It directed the department to refund the amount of meter rental charged since April 1, 2023, along with interest at the SBI rate as on April 1 for the current year, payable annually, and rectify their electricity bill/account accordingly within 30 days from the issue of the final order. The department was also directed to pay ₹100 per day to the seven complainants as compensation.

The ICF approached ombudsman on January 20, 2025, for implementation of the CGRF order after the department did not comply with its orders within the given time.

Ombudsman has asked the department to submit a compliance report on the action taken in this regard within 30 days from the issuance of the order.