Section 10 of Madhya Pradesh Electricity Supply Code 2004

CHAPTER 10: PAYMENT AND DISCONNECTION Payment 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 Consumers are expected to make payment for the energy used by them every month. The licensee shall ensure adequate publicity of the addresses/ locations and working hours of the collection centres including those of banks where consumers can make payments. The licensee shall provide a choice of maximum alternative modes of payment to the consumers like payment through cash, local cheque, bank draft, banker’s cheque, Electronic Clearing System (ECS), credit card etc and a consumer shall be allowed to make payment through cheque for amounts above Rs fifty. During the days when there is rush on the collection window, separate queuing arrangement should be made for senior citizens, women and physically challenged persons and they should be attended on priority. The collection centres should have the facility of receiving payment from consumers/ representatives of consumers who wish to make payments on behalf of a number of consumers. Separate counters should be provided for this purpose so that the waiting time for other consumers is not increased. In order to reduce the workload of the collection counter payment of bills above Rupees five-thousand should be made through cheque / banker’s cheque / demand draft payable at local branch. The licensee should make arrangements to receive payment through drop boxes where the consumer may drop his cheque (crossed account payee). Licensee should keep the drop boxes at the collection centres and at other locations as notified from time to time to facilitate the payment without the need for standing in the queue. The cheque should be drawn in favour of the MPSEB/ licensee. The service connection number, bill month, consumer name and address including telephone number if any should be clearly written on the back of the cheque. In case the bank levies any clearance charge, the same amount shall be recoverable from the consumer in the subsequent bill. The due date of payment for all consumers shall normally be fifteen days from the date of issue of bill. If due date of payment mentioned in the bill is a public holiday, the succeeding working day shall be treated as the due date. In the event of non-realisation of cheque, the licensee shall have the right to increase the security deposit from the consumer. The Licensee shall also have the right to take steps such as levying cheque dishonour charges or initiating other actions as per Law besides insisting on future payment by demand draft or by cash. 10.9 In case of non-receipt of bill within the specified date of receipt of bill (as stated in clause 9.11(b), the consumer may contact the bill issuing office to collect the duplicate bill and arrange payment of the bill. In case the licensee is not in a position to provide duplicate bill, the consumer shall pay on the basis of past average bill amount. The licensee shall investigate the cause of non-receipt of bill and take suitable steps to ensure that the consumer receives his electricity bills promptly thereafter. 10.10 Every consumer shall be issued a receipt in token of having received the payment. 10.11 The consumer may also be allowed to make advance payment of future bills, which shall be adjusted in the succeeding months. However, only the regular bill amount shall be adjusted from the advance payment. Before adjusting any other amount, the consent of the consumer shall be sought. Utility will also consider suitable rebate in case of advance payment. The licensee shall prepare and submit a scheme for approval of the Commission for consumers with high value bills, where such consumers shall be eligible to make payment of part of their average monthly bill in advance and shall be eligible for the additional rebate as decided by the Commission. 10.12 All categories of consumers committing default in the payment of the billed amount shall be liable to pay delayed payment surcharge, on the amount outstanding, at rates as approved by the Commission from time to time. While accepting payment after the due date, the surcharge payable, shall be calculated and the additional amount payable shall be collected along with the normal billed amount. 10.13 All payments made by the consumer will be adjusted in the following order of priority: 10.14 (a) Electricity Duty and Cess on the current consumption (b) Arrears of Electricity Duty plus arrears of Cess. (c) Delayed payment surcharge (d) Balance of arrears (e) Balance of current bill amount Instalment facilities: Licensee will lay down a policy for grant of instalment facility for the purpose of recovery of dues subject to approval of the Commission. The said policy shall also designate the officer(s) authorized to grant instalment facility. 10.15 Disputed/Erroneous Bills (a) In the event of any objection in respect of the billed amount, the consumer may lodge a complaint before the designated officer as mentioned in the energy bill. The supply of electricity shall not be cut off if such person deposits, under protest, 10.16 (i) (ii) an amount equal to the sum claimed from him, or the electricity charges due from him for each month calculated on the basis of average charge for electricity paid by him during the preceding six months, whichever is less, pending disposal of any dispute between him and the licensee. (b) Complaint shall be lodged with the designated officer in the complaint receipt form available at the licensee’s complaint receiving office. In case such form is not available in the office, complaint may be lodged on plain paper along with the following details: (i) Name and address of the consumer along with telephone number, if any (ii) Service connection number (iii) Category of connection (iv) Complaint in brief The designated officer shall resolve the dispute within a maximum period of seven days from the date of receipt of written complaint and shall send a report to the officer in charge of the division giving reasons for the discrepancy if any. (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) If on investigation, the Licensee finds the bill to be erroneous, a revised corrected bill shall be furnished to the consumer indicating the revised due date not less than seven days of the date of delivery of revised bill. Excess amount paid by the consumer, if any, shall be adjusted in the subsequent bill(s). In case it is established that the meter reading recorded was incorrect, responsibility may be fixed and the licensee may take suitable action. In the event that investigations establish that the original bill was correct, the consumer shall be intimated accordingly and notified to pay the balance, if any, with surcharge as applicable within 7 days. The licensee shall provide quarterly feedback to the Commission on the analysis of disputed / erroneous bills. In case the consumer is not satisfied with the decision on the dispute, he may take further action as provided in the Guidelines for Redressal of Consumer Grievance. In case of death of a consumer the legal heir shall be liable to pay the dues of such consumer. The legal heir should also take steps to get the connection changed in his name within a period of three months. Disconnection 10.17 It shall be the responsibility of the licensee to ensure that no default in payment is continued beyond a reasonable period subject to a maximum of three months without action for temporary disconnection. The authorised official of the licensee will ensure that all the cases pertaining to default in payment are monitored regularly and timely action is initiated as per prescribed procedure for temporary or permanent disconnection. A report of cases of permanent disconnection will be submitted to the Commission on a quarterly basis. 10.18 If a consumer fails in payment of any bill in full, without the approval of the authorised officer, by the due date, the service connection of the consumer will be liable to be disconnected on temporary basis. Before disconnection of a consumer’s installation, the Licensee would serve a written notice of fifteen clear days. Effort should be made that before disconnecting a domestic connection; an adult member of the family should be informed. If the proof of removal of the cause for disconnection is produced to the satisfaction of the Licensee’s employee deputed for the purpose, the supply shall not be disconnected. In this regard, the licensee shall strictly follow provisions of section 56 of The Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003). 10.19 No sum due from any consumer shall be recoverable after the period of two years from the date when such sum became first due unless such sum has been shown continuously as recoverable as arrear of charges for electricity supplied and the licensee shall not cut off the supply of the electricity. 10.20 The licensee would publish the details of such consumers, who are liable to be disconnected but have not been disconnected, in such a manner as may be directed by the Commission. 10.21 After temporary disconnection, the supply shall be restored only after the consumer pays the outstanding charges/dues/ amount of instalment fixed along with disconnection-reconnection charges. 10.22 A consumer shall be required to make a written request to the office of the licensee if the consumer wishes to get his connection temporarily disconnected for a period upto six months. For duration of temporary disconnection the consumer shall be liable to pay in advance all the monthly charges that are fixed in nature like demand charge, minimum charge, meter rent etc. The consumer shall also be liable to pay disconnection / reconnection charges to avail the facility of temporary disconnection. The period of ‘disconnection on request’ can be extended on receipt of a request in writing and on necessary charges being deposited in advance