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Just three months after it began operations, Adani Energy is drawing flak from consumers whose bills have shot up to unprecedented levels. Some consumers claim their bills for September and October have shot up by as much as 100 per cent.
Previously known as Reliance Energy, the Mumbai distribution company of Reliance Infrastructure, was acquired by the Adani Group earlier this year.
CM orders audit
On Saturday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to look into the matter and conduct an audit of past three months’ billing process at Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML).
The distribution company has been maintaining that the spike in bills was caused by a change in the weather condition, which in turn reportedly led to a change in the consumption pattern.
Average temperature of October has increased to 31° Celsius in 2018 from 27.7° Celsius in 2016, Adani Electricity claimed in a media statement on Saturday.
Another reason for the higher bills, according to the company, is that the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) had set a higher tariff slab for consumers of all the distribution companies of the State. This development coincided with Adani’s takeover of Reliance’s distribution business in August.
In its order dated September 12, the MERC approved the revised tariffs of all the discoms operating in the State, including the government-owned Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) and the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDC) and private players Tata Power and Adani Electricity.
Two-phased revision
The revised tariffs are to come into effect in two stages: the first phase kicked in on September 1 and the second will take effect on April 1, 2019.
According to consumer groups and analysts, an average tariff hike approved ranges from 2-8 per cent depending on the distribution circle as well as the consumer category. However, the hike could be even more pronounced after April 2020, they add.
The protests, supported by the Congress and other political parties, has prompted Adani Electricity to set up a 24x7 helpline that has promised a response to all the queries related to billing within 24 hours. The company has also organised several camps to respond to queries related to billing.
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