The case of the Complainant is that he is a domestic consumer of electricity bearing consumer No.B1-105937 since 21.07.2011. He was served with 1st electrical bill on 19.09.2011 which the Complainant alleges as wrong. He took shelter before the GRF, Balasore vide GRF Case No.10 of 2012. After a hot contest the claim of the Complainant was allowed by the GRF with a direction to O.P.No.1 to revise the bill but the O.P.No.1 refused to comply the said order. So the Complainant brought this fact to the notice of O.P.No.3. However, a duplicate bill was issued to the Complainant by O.P.No.4 mentioning 1530 units upto October,2013 without taking meter reading. According to Complainant upto February,2013(Annexure-3) there was reading of 1469 units in the meter. So alleging deficiency in service on the part of O.Ps, the Complainant filed this case praying to declare Annexure-3 along with arrear claim as wrong and to revise the bill as per actual meter reading besides payment of litigation cost.
O.Ps in their written version stated that as per billing statement available in the Office in the month of February,2013, final reading was 1469 units and billing was made for 110 units. From March,2013 to September,2013 due to house lock billing was made on provisional basis i.e. for 144 units and in the month of October,2013, meter reading was taken where final reading was 1530 units and electricity bill was made for 61 units i.e. from 03/2013 to 09/2013. The provisional bill of the Complainant has already been revised by the O.Ps. As per revision, the proposed withdrawal amount is Rs.2553.20 paise. So far as billing statement is concerned upto November,2013 arrear outstanding against the Complainant is Rs.2,181.33 paise. It is therefore clear that there is no error in the electricity bill.
We have heard the Complainant in person and the authorized representative of O.Ps Mr.Dey and perused the disputed bills. The Complainant submitted that during March,2013, actual reading was 1469 units and as on 03.09.2014, the said reading is 2820 units. So the bill needs to be revised on actual consumption basis. On perusal of billing statement filed by O.Ps it is found that from March,2013 till September,2013 and thereafter during the month of November,2013 the current reading has been mentioned as “zero” and energy bills have been raised on load factor basis due to lock of the premises. When it is not the case of the O.Ps that the meter is defective, the Complainant should have been served with energy bill on actual consumption basis. Had the energy bill been revised by the O.Ps on actual consumption basis, the Complainant would not have knocked the door of the Forum and incurred certain expenses. But this has not been done in this case which amounts to deficiency in service on the part of the O.Ps. Accordingly, it is ordered:
O R D E R
In the result, the complaint is allowed on contest against the O.Ps. The O.Ps are directed to revise the energy bill of the Complainant till today on average monthly basis taking the base reading of 1469 units as on March,2013 by adjusting the payment made and to pay litigation cost of Rs.500/- to the Complainant which may be adjusted in the revised bill. The aforesaid direction be complied with immediately.
