Mann Government gives major relief to Power consumers, PSPCL suspends disconnections over incorrect & inflated bills

Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh

In a major relief for domestic electricity consumers across Punjab, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has ordered its field offices to suspend disconnection of Domestic Supply (DS) connections over payment defaults arising from incorrect or inflated electricity bills.

The directive comes in response to a growing number of consumer complaints regarding inaccurate billing, with many customers reporting that inflated amounts were being reflected as outstanding dues in the billing system. PSPCL has clarified that no disconnection action should be taken against such consumers until billing discrepancies are corrected and the Smart Billing System (SBS) becomes fully stable.

According to an order issued by the Director/Distribution, PSPCL, Patiala, the recent strike by meter readers and the ongoing migration from SAP and Non-SAP platforms to the Oracle-based Smart Billing System have led to several consumers being billed on an average or estimated basis.

As a result, many domestic consumers received electricity bills that did not accurately reflect their actual power consumption. These incorrect bills subsequently appeared as unpaid dues in the system, making affected consumers vulnerable to disconnection despite disputes over billing accuracy.

Acknowledging the inconvenience and hardship faced by consumers, PSPCL has directed all field offices to keep disconnection proceedings for DS consumers in abeyance with immediate effect. The suspension will remain in force until the Smart Billing System is stabilised and erroneous bills are rectified.

The corporation has instructed its Chief Engineers and distribution offices across Punjab to ensure strict compliance with the order and refrain from initiating disconnection proceedings in cases where outstanding amounts have arisen due to billing errors.

The move is expected to provide significant relief to thousands of consumers who have been raising concerns over inflated electricity bills during the transition to the new billing platform. PSPCL has reiterated that consumers should not face disconnection merely because incorrect billing has generated artificial outstanding dues in the system.