PANAJI
Domestic consumers across Goa are once again complaining of inflated energy bills, even as Electricity Department officials deny any errors in billing.
Several households say charges remain steep despite earlier government assurances of relief. A Margao resident reported receiving a bill of over Rs 11,000 for May and Rs 7,000-plus for June -- nearly three times his average monthly billing of the past.
“These charges are almost three‑four times my past average. I paid under protest,” the consumer said.
In Panaji, another household alleged a 200 per cent spike, with bills crossing Rs 6,000 against the usual Rs 2,000. “We were earlier told that it was due to penalties for excessive loads and these would be refunded. But the bills don’t reflect any relief,” the consumer said.
These complaints follow Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s announcement last month that penalties for exceeding sanctioned load would be withdrawn. The Electricity Department had confirmed via a circular that fines already collected -- estimated at Rs 43 crore -- would be credited back in future bills.
But consumers say bills continue to arrive with steep charges, leaving their households anxious amidst rising costs of living impacted by a general price rise following the middle-east war.
The Sawant government had in November last year notified a 5.9 per cent hike in power tariffs approved by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC). Effective from January 1, the hike was modest on paper, but gross billing for many consumers has spiked by over 100 per cent.
The inflated billing controversy had begun earlier this summer when households received unusually high bills. Officials had then attributed the surge to usage exceeding sanctioned load.
Confusion deepened as the rollout of smart meters coincided with the spike, fuelling suspicion among consumers. Protests erupted across the State, with opposition parties accusing the government of rushing smart meter installations without consultation or awareness campaigns.
Civic groups also joined in demanding immediate relief and protesting that the penalties were unjustified and arbitrary. Facing pressure, the government halted smart meter installations and withdrew its policy decision to impose fines for sanctioned load breaches.
