Residents across Pune, served by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), are encountering a myriad of issues related to inconsistent billing practices, irregular meter readings, and misleading communications.
MSEDCL
Many customers report not receiving electricity bills regularly or, in some cases, not at all for extended periods. Additionally, there are complaints of receiving emails and SMS notifications indicating pending amounts despite customers making advance payments well beyond their monthly power usage.
One resident, Preeti Desai, residing in Sahyadri Farms Society Baner, expressed frustration over the erratic receipt of electricity bills over the past four years, with irregular meter readings leading to sudden and significantly inflated payment demands. Desai recounted her experiences of visiting the Baner office to address billing concerns, only to be provided with figures by MSEDCL staff members, which she promptly paid.
She highlighted instances where the meter was deemed faulty in July 2022, leading to changes and subsequent online payments until September 2023. Desai detailed a sudden spike in her October bill from the usual range of Rs 3,000 to 7,000 to an alarming Rs 40,000. Subsequent interactions with MSEDCL officials revealed additional pending amounts since 2021, resulting in further increases and a final demand of Rs 47,000, despite her payment of Rs 30,000.
Another resident, Sarita D’souza from Nirmal Township Hadapsar, reported making advance payments to MSEDCL for years. However, despite having a credit balance in her account, she continues to receive messages and emails claiming her energy bill is due. When seeking clarification from the relevant department, D’souza found that she had a credit balance, but her monthly bills reflecting this credit were not being sent, leading to ongoing inconvenience.
In response to these issues, MSEDCL’s Baner office accounts official, Nilesh Javanjal, emphasized that the monthly reading date is fixed, and bills are generated promptly after meter readings. He encouraged customers to provide their consumer numbers for verification, assuring resolution if discrepancies are found. MSEDCL’s additional executive engineer, Pandit P.
Dandge, echoed the commitment to swift issue resolution and highlighted efforts to prevent any recurrence. MSEDCL PRO Nishikant Raut advised customers to register their mobile numbers and email IDs to receive bills electronically, especially for advance payments, where physical bills are not issued.
Despite these assurances, there are reports of fake messages and emails circulating, especially after 9:30 pm, demanding online payments under the threat of power supply cutoff. Raut warned customers to stay vigilant and ignore such communications, clarifying that MSEDCL does not send messages or emails of this nature, particularly at night.
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