The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Jalandhar, has directed Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to pay Rs 15,000 as compensation and Rs 8,000 as litigation expenses to a consumer over the utility’s failure to replace a defective electricity meter within the period prescribed under the Punjab Electricity Supply Code.
The complaint was filed by 70-year-old Jagdish Singh Banga, a retired teacher from Subhana village in Jalandhar.
According to the complaint, Banga and his wife were in Australia from January 2020 to July 2021, while their house remained mostly locked and was occasionally looked after by his brother-in-law. During this period, the power corporation issued him electricity bills generated on an average consumption basis instead of manual readings.
Later upon checking, Banga learnt that the electricity meter installed at his residence had become defective. A request for replacement of the meter was submitted in November 2020. However, the meter was replaced only in March-April, 2021.
As the meter was defective, Banga claimed he continued to receive inflated bills till the meter was replaced. Seeking corrections, Banga first approached PSPCL officials and later the utility’s Dispute Settlement Committee. Despite the committee’s intervention revising his bills, he approached the Consumer Commission in August 2022, alleging harassment and inconvenience due to the prolonged delay in replacement of the defective meter.
In its reply, PSPCL stated that the meter had been declared defective and bills were generated on an average-consumption basis in the absence of actual readings. The utility also informed the Commission that it had implemented the Dispute Settlement Committee’s order and made necessary billing adjustments in the consumer’s account.
But the Consumer Commission observed that the meter had been declared defective in August 2020 and a request for its replacement was submitted on November 6, 2020. However, the meter was replaced only in March-April,2021, four months after receiving the request.
The Commission noted as per Clause 3.1 of the Punjab Electricity Supply Code, a defective meter is required to be replaced within 10 working days of receipt of a complaint. It observed that the replacement was carried out several months after the request, contrary to the provisions of the Supply Code.
Holding the delay in replacing the defective meter to be a deficiency in service, the Commission directed PSPCL to pay Rs 15,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 8,000 as litigation expenses. The utility has also been directed to comply with the order within 45 days.
