Electricity Bill Hike: Electricity consumers in Dhamtari district are set to face an additional financial burden starting this August. In accordance with directives from the Electricity Regulatory Commission, the department is preparing to implement new rates (an increase in electricity tariffs). This change is bound to come as a shock to consumers. To shield the public from the impact of this hike and to educate them on ways to manage electricity consumption, the electricity department has taken proactive steps at the grassroots level.
Special Awareness Camps in Various Wards
Special awareness camps are being organized across different wards of Dhamtari city, where officials are personally visiting to inform residents about the new tariffs. Bharat Sinha, Assistant Engineer (AE) of the Dhamtari Electricity Zone, stated that the department is conducting camps in various wards on different days. The primary objective of these camps is to raise awareness among consumers about the upcoming hike in electricity rates, enabling them to be mindful of their consumption patterns in advance and reduce unnecessary usage.
‘Mor Bijli’ App to Help Avoid Hefty Bills
Through these camps, electricity officials are advising consumers to download the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company’s official ‘Mor Bijli’ app on their mobile phones to avoid facing exorbitant bills in the future. AE Sinha noted that this digital app could prove to be a great help to consumers. The app allows users to view their monthly consumption patterns and compare them with bills from previous months. Additionally, the app offers features such as registering power outage complaints, making online payments, and requesting load adjustments (increasing or decreasing load), thereby saving consumers from making repeated trips to the office. The electricity department has urged consumers to take advantage of these camps, understand their tariff slabs, and use digital tools to keep their electricity bills under control.
Three Key Pieces of Advice from Officials at the Camps
Keep an eye on meter readings: Consumers should regularly cross-check their monthly meter readings against the data shown on the app. Technical glitches can be rectified promptly. Understand the subsidy math: Domestic consumers are advised to keep their monthly electricity consumption within 400 units to avail the benefits of the government’s ‘half-electricity bill’ scheme. Digital grievance redressal: In case of a faulty meter or billing discrepancy, file a complaint by uploading a photo via the ‘Mor Bijli’ app.
