CESC Limited — Excess billing for the month of October 2020

Address: Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation Limited, CESC House, Chowringhee Square Kolkata 700001, West Bengal, India

Website: www.cesc.co.in

I am a CESC consumer for more than 25 years. My Customer ID is [protected] and Consumer No. is [protected]. My actual unit consumption from May to September 2019 was 1795 units and corresponding months i.e. from May to September 2020 was 1651 units based on their actual / estimated reading. Surprisingly I had received my October 2020 bill stating that in a single month my unit consumption have shot up to 2231 units and the gross bill amount payable by me within 17/12/2020 is showing as Rs.22, 180/-.

I had visited their office in Kolkata at Mandeville Gardens on 12/12/2020 personally.. However, my repeated requests were unheard by their official and I was only directed to meet the person named Mr. Pradip Majumdar in counter number 2 at around 12 noon. Firstly he did not listen to me properly and also could not give me any plausible justification, as he was only insistent that the billing is justifiable and he cannot be of any assistance other than breaking the enormous amount into installments for me to pay.

It may be appreciated that I have been paying all the bills sent by their office throughout the months from May 2020 to September 2020 and hence, this huge units under no situation can be consumed over and above, for which their office have billed me and I presume to have used during these period. I am quite sure that the units may have been added back erroneously, in my October 2020 bill for which I have already paid much earlier.

I wrote a mail to their Sr. Manager (South ) with a request to kindly look into the matter and help me out of the situation. He responded very nicely through mail and also over telephonic conversation. He had also initiated all means by sending the inspection team to understand and resolve the matter. However, on this day he confirmed that he is not in a position to help me out as their record was showing the total units hence, this huge so called consumption o[censored]nits cannot be changed under any situation. He can only accommodate me for my paying the amount through installment in this situation. However, my only point of concern is that when CESC office had installed a Smart Meter in my flat/building way back on 21/03/2018 for remote sensing the actual reading, why the same was not done in my case and an arbitrary estimated reading o[censored]nits were shown in all my bills from May 2020 to September 2020. If such a wrong step were not taken by their office, then I could have easily initiated appropriate action on time to avoid such a situation. I have been running from pillar to post for the last one week but not getting any proper help from anyone.

It may please be noted that when the consumption of total units in the previous year i.e.in April 2019 was only 256 units, how come their office have charged for 532 units in April 2020, which is around 110% more than the previous year. Please note that I have been forced into this awkward situation and controversy only since then. Also please note that I stay in a very small flat of around 600 Sq.Ft. and no gadgets whatsoever have been added in the recent past. Why do CESC officials do not get convinced that if I have already paid to them as per their estimated actual reading or consumption of i.e. for 1651 units from May 2020 to September 2020 on an average of more than 330 units per month, they cannot force me to pay for an additional of 2231 units for the same period, which again on an average is more than 446 units per month. It means CESC office wants to forcibly impose on me that I have consumed on an average 776 units per month from May 2020 to September 2020 which is quite absurd as I have never consumed in the past i.e. more than 25 years.

CESC as an organization in principle had accepted that there was a clear error of inflated bills during the pandemic time and particularly for the month of June 2020. CESC was requested by me to ensure that this matter is resolve with top priority, as I do not want to be doubly penalized for, as the next November 2020 bill will be in process shortly and their office adds up this amount of October 2020 too without understanding the reality. I had also informed them, that they should please make a special note to their concerned department that the supply of electricity is kept normal to my flat until and unless this matter is addressed by them and is resolved with their due consideration.

In view of the above, I being a senior citizen of 66 years age and almost indisposed because of an accident a few years back, humbly look forward to proper justice and request you to intervene on my behalf, to resolve the matter once for all with CESC authority and request them to send the correct bill amount for my doing the needful.

For your ready reference the following attachments are added along with this request.

Encl : Copy of Bill No.[protected] / 10204 Dated 8th December 2020 / Letter to Customer Accounts Manager Dated 12/12/2020 / Acknowledgement Docket No..12035661 DATED[protected]