Tenants who fear that landlords might increase electricity charges after the recent hike in power tariff can breathe easy. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has issued a statement saying overcharging was a crime and that affected persons could lodge complaints with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).
Though the average consumption of a household is 150 units bi-monthly, common complaint most tenants have is being overcharged by landlords. Often they are asked to give a fixed amount monthly, which varies from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000.
“Overcharging tenants is an offence under Sections 142 and 146 of the Electricity Act 2003, punishable with fine up to Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment up to 3 months. The public can lodge complaints with the TNEB, which has been advised to file complaints before the Commission under Section 142 of the Electricity Act 2003 or before the appropriate judicial magistrate under Section 146 of the Electricity Act 2003,” a TNERC official said.
In September 2009, state electricity minister Arcot N Veerasamy warned houseowners of strict action if they charged extra for electricity. But no action was taken. The TNERC now feels charging excess may increase with the government hiking the tariff.
TNERC sources said the highest tariff applicable to a domestic consumer was Rs 4.05 per unit as on date, if the total consumption of the household exceeded 600 units bi-monthly (after the government subsidy of Rs 1.70). So a landlord can collect a maximum of Rs 4.05 per unit.
KP Prasidha Kumar, who lived in a rented house in Royapettah, said he was charged Rs 3,000 bi-monthly by his owner. “Apart from a refrigerator and television, we did not have any electronic equipment,” he said.
Ramakant Chakraborthy, of Triplicane said, “I just have two fans, three tubelights and a television in my house. But my landlord charges between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,500 every two months. Many times I asked him to show the EB card, but he refused,” he said. Chakraborthy said he even tried to contact the TNEB vigilance department but received a cold response.