Punjab's PSPCL accused of excessive electricity charges

A former director of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in India, Sukhbir Singh Dhillon, has accused the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) of overcharging domestic consumers. He claims that the method used to calculate fixed charges for electricity bills is incorrect. Dhillon compared the fixed charges in Punjab to those in other states. He noted that consumers in Chandigarh pay only ₹30 per month. In Delhi, the maximum fixed charge is ₹100. In contrast, Punjab consumers are billed ₹800-900 per month, which Dhillon considers excessive and unfair. He explained that fixed charges should be calculated using a specific formula. This formula involves multiplying 80% of the sanctioned load by the fixed charge per kilowatt, adjusted according to the billing cycle. Dhillon claims that PSPCL is using the number of days in a month incorrectly, which leads to inflated bills. He has emailed the Punjab chief minister, principal secretary (Power), and PSPCL officials, asking for a correction in the formula for fair billing. However, a PSPCL revenue accountant, speaking anonymously, defended the company's billing method. The accountant stated that PSPCL is following the correct process. For consumers with a sanctioned load between 7 kW and 20 kW, the charge is ₹110 per kW per month. For example, a consumer with a 10 kW load would owe ₹880 per month. Additionally, PSPCL's SE (Billing), Satwinder Singh Saithi, refuted Dhillon's claims. He explained that fixed charges are calculated following the guidelines from the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC). PSPCL divides the annual fixed charge by 365 days and multiplies it by the number of days in the billing period, which can vary.