"We have re-started physical meter reading which was temporarily halted since March because of Covid-19. Bills were generated on the lower side, being an average of preceding three months – that is, December, January and February, which are winter months. Actual consumption in the months of April, May and June is comparatively higher due to seasonal impact (summer) and increased usage (advent of Lockdown/WfH)," said a spokesperson of Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML), who havefaced complaints by several consumers including Taapsee.
The spokesperson added: "The bill amount for the past period shall be accounted as per Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) guidelines. The consumers will start receiving the bills based on their actual consumption with appropriate tariff slab benefits."
Earlier, on Sunday evening, Taapsee had tweeted to express shock over a huge electricity bill during the lockdown.
"3 months of lockdown and I wonder what appliance(s) I have newly used or bought in the apartment only last month to have such an insane rise in my electricity bill @Adani_Elec_Mum. What kind of POWER are you charging us for," Taapsee wrote on Twitter.
Along with it, she attached pictures of the electricity bills, showing how she was charged Rs 36,000 for the month of June 2020. The bill for April was Rs 4,390 while the one for May amounted to Rs 3,850 only.
Taapsee had also mentioned on social media how she had received a bloated bill for another house where "no one stays".
"And this one is for an apartment where no one stays and it''s only visited once in a week for cleaning purpose @Adani_Elec_Mum. I am now worried if someone is actually using the apartment without our knowledge and you have helped us uncover the reality," Taapsee wrote.
On Taapsee's claims, the AEML the spokesperson said: "Upon receipt of the complaint, we have verified the meter reading and found to be correct."