KSEB may switch to flexible power billing system

T'puram: In a bid to pacify critics who want the bimonthly billing system to be replaced with a monthly one, KSEB is planning to introduce a flexible mechanism for interested consumers to prepare and pay bills on a monthly basis. The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) too had asked the board to consider the demand for a monthly payment system.

Currently, KSEB engages meter readers to collect electricity usage details once in two months. Though the reading is not taken every month, the bills are calculated on a monthly basis by dividing the total usage equally. However, certain groups and social media handles have been lashing out at KSEB for sometime, alleging that the board was fleecing consumers through bimonthly meter reading.

KSEB had introduced a self-reading of energy meters during the Covid period. The board is planning to let interested consumers follow the same practice and pay their bills every month. However, any mistakes in self-reading would be corrected during bimonthly meter reading.

"Monthly billing is more beneficial to KSEB, financially, as it would strengthen the cash flow. But the board will have to double the number of meter readers. This would in turn increase KSEB's expenses. The move to let interested consumers opt for self-reading and monthly payment is in fact a deliberate attempt to counter the baseless allegations raised against the board," a KSEB source said.

There was severe criticism against KSEB, especially by the representatives of some political parties, during the public hearings organised by the KSERC. It was following such open criticism that the commission asked the board to see whether monthly billing was possible or not. KSERC said it was not against the demand for a monthly billing system.