State approaches MERC to bring down power bills

Citizens may get relief from their inflated electricity bills as the state government plans to approach the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC)

Citizens may get relief from their inflated electricity bills as the state government plans to approach the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) with a proposal to bring down the amount household consumers are charged. Once approved by MERC, the proposal will be placed before the state cabinet next week.

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“We have decided to provide relief to the people from high power bills and will be a filing an appeal with the MERC tomorrow [Thursday]. As a regulatory body, all decisions pertaining to power charges need to be taken by MERC. Its decision is binding even on private power distribution companies,” state energy minister Nitin Raut said on Wednesday.

According to energy ministry officials, who did not wish to be named, there could be two options — rebate up to a certain percentage in the existing power bill or reducing charges in the current slabs — that could be implemented to bring down consumers’ power bills from next month.

Raut, however, said “the route to reduce the bill” will have to be decided by MERC. “The state will go by whatever is approved by the regulatory body,” he said.

The decision to appeal to MERC was taken on Wednesday in a meeting of group of minister chaired by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

MERC Chairman Anand Kulkarni, who is currently abroad, also attended the meet through video conference. The state cabinet, too, was informed about the move.

Consumers across the state have been complaining about inflated power bills for the past few months, but power distribution companies have maintained that there was been no error on their part and that there has been an increase in power usage owing to summer and Covid-19-induced lockdown, with most people at home and the meter-reading suspended.