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Apartment dwellers encounter problems in paying bill for

common area connection
⋮ 24/11/2022

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Consumers say they are unable to pay bills for common area service online as they
get a message asking them to link Aadhaar with the connection; Tangedco officials
say they are looking into the issue

November 24, 2022 07:03 pm | Updated 08:48 pm IST - CHENNAI

The Hindu Bureau

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With confusion prevailing over Aadhaar linking for common area power connection, many apartment
dwellers are forced to visit the Tangedco offices to pay the bills. | Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

Power users, particularly those living in apartments, are facing a double whammy. After the recent power
tariff increase, they are encountering problem in paying the bills of electricity connection pertaining to the
common amenities in the apartment. The common service connections have been brought under the 1D
category of tariff which is fixed as ₹8 per unit. The consumers have complained that they are unable to
pay the bills online as the payment window flashes a message asking them to link Aadhaar details with
the power connection. In addition, the 1D tariff includes ₹200 per kilo watt (kw) as fixed charges.

T. Murugesan, who lives in an apartment in Madipakkam, said flat owners used to pay ₹2,200 bi-monthly
for the connection pertaining to common amenities. Now, the amount has shot up to ₹5,600, including
₹1,000 as fixed charge. “Under the previous tariff system, the fixed charge was ₹50,” he said.

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Consumer activists are complaining about the confusion prevailing in designating a domestic connection
under the common service tariff of 1D.

Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said it was understood that those consumers having more than four
connections, mainly flats and multi-storey apartments, one service used for common lights, motor and
other purposes would be charged under tariff 1D. But even individual houseowners having two or more
service connections and using one connection exclusively for motors are being charged under tariff 1D.
He pointed out that the levy of ₹200 as fixed charges per KW was exorbitant and unconstitutional.

However, a senior official of Tangedco said Aadhaar linking was only for domestic, huts, and agricultural
connections and not for commercial or common service connections coming under the 1D category tariff.
About problems faced by consumers while paying the bills online, the electricity official said they were
seized of the matter and it would be resolved in a day or two. Also instructions had been issued for
extending the deadline for bill payment by two days, he added.

The official cleared the air about the confusion on designating one ‘extra’ service connection under 1D
category pointing out that where electricity was not supplied for domestic purposes but used for motors
and common lighting that service connection would be treated under tariff 1D irrespective of the number
of services on the premises.

Consumer activists say Tangedco could have given more time for linking Aadhaar with the consumer
number considring the large number of service connections involved in the exercise as many senior
citizens did not have the internet facility or the linking could be done in e-seva centres.

S. Nagalsamy, a retired member of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission, said the tariff for
common electricity under a commercial rate for domestic consumers was not a good practice. He said
the power utility was only aiming to maximise its revenue rather than reducing its expenditure by pruning
the price at which it bought power.

Related Topics

Chennai / electricity production and distribution

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