PANAJI
Complaints of inflated electricity bills continue to persist from consumers across Goa, even as the State government has formally notified new regulations adopting the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission’s amended power code, which lays the framework for smart meters.
Several consumers say bills remain steep despite earlier assurances of relief. “My bill has doubled compared to last year, though our usage is the same,” said a Margao resident producing a July dated bill amounting to over Rs 7,000 for June consumption of his two bedroom flat.
Another Panaji household has reported paying nearly over Rs 4,000 more than their usual under-Rs 2,000 bill alleging nearly 200 per-cent spike in their monthly energy charges.
“We were told penalties are scrapped, but the bills don’t reflect relief,” said the consumer.
The discontent follows Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s announcement weeks ago that penalties for exceeding sanctioned load would be withdrawn.
The Electricity Department also issued a circular which confirmed that amounts already collected -- an estimated at Rs 43 crore -- will be credited back in future bills.
But the promise of reimbursement has yet to ease public anger.
“We are waiting for the adjustment in our bills. Until then, the burden is real and we are paying high costs,” said the Margao resident who has paid his Rs 7,000-odd bill under protest at the Aquem electricity office counter.
The controversy began earlier this summer when households received unusually high bills, many alleging arbitrary fines linked to sanctioned load breaches. The trend also coincided with the rollout of smart meter installation.
Protests erupted from across the State with opposition parties accusing the government of rushing the smart meter rollout without consultation and creating awareness.
Facing pressure, the government halted the smart meter installations.
On Wednesday, however, it has moved ahead by notifying the JERC Electricity Supply Code (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2024.
The rules mandate smart pre-payment or pre-payment meters for all new connections and prescribe timelines for approvals, and allow online applications and tracking.
Under the framework, smart meters will be read remotely every day, enabling consumers to monitor usage and balance via app, website or SMS.
Other pre-payment meters will be read at least once every three months. The rules also remove penalties for maximum demand recorded before smart meter installation and provide for automatic revision of sanctioned load based on actual demand.
For now, however, consumers remain unconvinced as bills continue to arrive with steep charges, leaving them anxious.
