Pay additional security deposit or face disconnection of power: Mahavitaran

PUNE: The Maharashtra State Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) aka Mahavitaran has issued separate bills for additional security deposit and appealed to electricity consumers to pay the same in six instalments, failing which the company will issue one month’s notice to consumers. In the event consumers fail to pay the additional security deposit in that one month, Mahavitaran will proceed to disconnect their power supply as per section 147/2 of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulation Commission (MERC) Electricity Supply Code Regulations, 2021.

Along with the electricity bills for the months of April/May, Mahavitaran has sent consumers separate bills for additional security deposit, giving them the option to pay the deposit amount in six equal monthly instalments. A message to this effect is mentioned on the security deposit bill.

Rajendra Pawar, chief engineer of the Pune Circle of Mahavitaran, said, “Earlier, Mahavitaran was charging consumers the average monthly electricity bill as security deposit according to MERC guidelines. Now, we are charging twice the average monthly electricity bill as security deposit.”

“Mahavitaran already has one month’s electricity bill of consumers as security deposit so the consumers will have to pay an additional month’s electricity bill as security deposit to the company in six instalments. If a consumer fails to pay the said amount in six instalments, we will serve notice to him/her to pay it in one month’s time. If the consumer fails to pay the said amount in the additional one-month period as well, we will disconnect his/her electricity as per section 147/2 of the MERC Electricity Supply Code Regulations, 2021,” Pawar said.

Electricity consumers are charged an additional security deposit according to clause 13.1 of the MERC Electricity Supply Code Regulations, 2021. At the end of every financial year, the security deposit of a consumer is recalculated based on the average electricity consumption of that consumer in the previous financial year. In case of consumers who pay monthly electricity bills, the security deposit is fixed as twice the average monthly bill whereas in case of consumers who pay quarterly electricity bills, the security deposit is fixed as one-and-a-half times the average quarterly bill. Under the MERC Electricity Supply Code Regulations, 2021, Mahavitaran pays interest on the security deposit as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rates. Mahavitaran adjusts the interest amount in the consumers’ bills in the months of March or May every year.

Rupesh Shelke, a resident of Wadgaon Sheri, said, “After the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a hike in LPG rates, home loan interest, school fees, vegetable prices and grocery items. The common man is finding it difficult to fulfil basic needs with limited sources of income. The MSEDCL has already increased tariffs and put an additional burden on consumers. And now, they have sent separate bills for additional security deposit.”