6. Metering and Billing.

{
    "act_title": "Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Supply Code and Related Matters) Regulations, 2015",
    "act_slug": "gujarat-electricity-regulatory-commission-electricity-supply-code-and-related-matters-regulations-2015",
    "section_label": "Section",
    "section": {
        "number": "6",
        "title": "6. Metering and Billing.",
        "chapter": null,
        "content": "Requirement of Meters\n(1) Purchase the meter, MCB/CB and associated equipment himself from a vendor(s) provided the equipments are of a make and specification approved by the licensee from time-to-time; or\n(2) Require that the meter, MCB/CB and associated equipment be supplied by the licensee.\n(1) (a) For 1 Phase LT connections - Electronic Meters\n(b) For 3 Phase LT connections - Electronic Meters with Maximum Demand Indicator (MDI)\n(2) For HT/EHT consumers - 3 Phase Tri-vector meters with MDI. The meters shall have a facility for \"Time of the Day\" metering and storage of at least 45 days. The consumer shall have the option to install meter having facility to record peak hours MDI in addition to above features\nSupply and Installation of Meters and MCBs/CBs\nReading of Meters\nTesting of Meters\nReplacement of Meters\nTesting of Defective Meters\nTesting of Defective Meters\nCost of Replacement of Defective/ Burnt/ Lost Meters\n(1) If the meter was owned by the consumer, the licensee shall inform the consumer to replace the meter and associated equipment. The licensee shall however replace the meter immediately and start charging meter rent till the consumer arranges it's own meter and associated equipments.\n(2) If the meter was owned by the licensee, the licensee shall install a new meter at its own cost:\nReplacement of Meters (including MDI) Not Recording\nReplacement of Burnt Meters\nReplacement of Lost Meters\nConsumer not to interfere with the Supply Mains and Apparatus including Meter\nBilling\nGeneral\n(1) Address and telephone number of the billing office / distribution centre;\n(2) Service Connection Number;\n(3) Bill Number and Period of Bill;\n(4) Consumer Number, Name and Address;\n(5) Pole Number from which connection is served / Name of sub-division or centre;\n(6) Date of issue of Bill;\n(7) Tariff category of consumer (i.e. RGP, NRGP etc.)\n(8) Tariff, rate of electricity duty and cess applicable;\n(9) Status of meter (OK/defective/not available);\n(10) Billing Status (Regular/ Assessed/ Provisional Bill with reason);\n(11) Supply details:\n(i) Type of supply (i.e. single phase, three-phase LT or HT)\n(ii) Contracted load/ Connected load\n(12) Meter number and identification details of meter (in case the meter was replaced during the billing period, the bill must indicate the meter numbers of new as well as old meter, date of replacement, final reading of old meter and initial reading of new meter at the time of replacement of meter);\n(13) Initial meter reading with date;\n(14) Final meter reading with date;\n(15) Multiplying Factor of the meter if any;\n(16) Units consumed;\n(17) Maximum demand;\n(18) Due date of payment;\n(19) Billing details: Item-wise details for the current month as well as past arrears shall be furnished in the bill. A representative list is given below:\n(i) Energy Charges\n(ii) Fixed Charges\n(iii) Meter rent\n(iv) Capacitor surcharges\n(v) Other Charges, if any\n(vi) Electricity Duty\n(vii) FPPPA Charges-\n(viii) Power factor adjustment charges, if any\n(ix) Reactive Energy Charges, if any\n(x) Time of Use charges, if any\n(xi) Surcharge for delay, if any\n(xii) Interest on installments due\n(xiii) Total current month demand\n(xiv) Arrears (with details)\n(xv) Details of Subsidy, if any, under Section 65 of the Act\n(xvi) Others (with details)\n(xvii) Total amount due\n(xviii) Adjustment\n(xix) Net amount to be paid\n(20) Modes of payment accepted;\n(21) In case of cheques and bank drafts, the receiving authority in whose favour the amount should be drawn;\n(22) Security Deposit held and required;\n(23) Consumption details of last six readings;\n(24) Notice under section 56 for payment of dues.\n(1) Address(es) of collection centre(s) and working hours for collection of bill payments, including the date and time of presence of the mobile van, if any, at different venues for collection of bill payments;\n(2) Designation and address of the authority with whom grievance/complaints pertaining to bills can be lodged;\n(3) Complete address(es) with telephone number(s) of the complaint centers, if any;\n(4) Addresses and telephone numbers of the relevant Grievance Redressal Officers including Central Grievance Redressal Officers as well as the Ombudsman constituted under Section 42 sub-clause 6 of the Act;\n(5) Tariff Schedule applicable to the consumer; and\n(6) Information relating to Safety, Energy Conservation, Prevention of theft, etc. But in any case bill should not contain any sort of commercial advertisement into it.\nProcedure for Billing under Special Circumstances\nBilling when Meter Not Accessible\nBilling in case of defective/stuck/stopped/burnt meter\nBilling in case of Lost Meters\n(1) As per clauses 7.7-7.9 of this Code, if it is established in the licensee's enquiry that the loss of meter was due to a deliberate act of the consumer and/or with his connivance.\n(2) As per clauses 6.58 and 6.59 of this Code, in other cases.\nSpecial Reading and Billing of Meters in cases of Change of Occupancy or Vacancy of Premises for Domestic Consumers\nPayment on Self Assessment by the Consumer\nAdvance Payment of Bills\nBilling in case of Disputed Bills\nPayment of Bills\n(1) In person at the designated collection offices of the licensee during specified times; or\n(2) By post or courier; or\n(3) By deposit in the drop-boxes maintained by the licensee at designated locations; or\n(4) By bank transfer through the internet; or\n(5) By any other scheme notified by the licensee for acceptance of bill payment.\nReceipt of bill payment\nUtilization of the Amount Received\n(1) Late payment charge;\n(2) Arrears of electricity charges and corresponding arrears of electricity duty/ tax;\n(3) Current electricity charges and corresponding current electricity duty/tax;\n(4) Miscellaneous charges.\nDelayed Payment Charges\nInstallment Facility\nRecovery of Arrears\n7. estrictions.\nTheft of Electricity\nProcedure for booking a case of theft of electricity\n(1) Actual period from the date of commencement of supply to the date of detection of theft;\n(2) Actual period from the date of replacement of component of metering system in which the evidence is detected to the date of detection of theft;\n(3) Actual period from the date of previous checking of installation to date of detection of theft;\n(4) Meter Reading Instrument (MRI) data should be considered wherever available.\n(5) Based on the valid document produced by the accused person.\nAssessment\nCompounding of Offence\nSr. No.\nSr. No.\nName of Service\nName of Service\nRate at which the\n\t\t\t\tsum of money for compounding to be collected\nRate at which the\n\t\t\t\tsum of money for compounding to be collected\nper Kilowatt\n\t\t\t\t\t(kW/Horse Power (HP) or part thereof for Low Tension (LT) supply\n\t\t\t\t\tand;\nper Kilowatt\n\t\t\t\t\t(kW/Horse Power (HP) or part thereof for Low Tension (LT) supply\n\t\t\t\t\tand;\n- per Kilo Volt Ampere (kVA) of\n\t\t\t\t\tcontracted demand for High Tension (HT)\n- per Kilo Volt Ampere (kVA) of\n\t\t\t\t\tcontracted demand for High Tension (HT)\n1\nIndustrial Service\n(1) For low tension\n\t\t\t\tconsumers\n(a) Upto 25 HP\n(b) Above 25 HP and upto 50 HP I Above 50 HP\nRs. 2000/- per HP\nRs. 4000/- per HP\nRs. 8000/- per HP\n(2) For high tension consumers\nRs. 8000/- per kVA\n2\nCommercial Service\n(a) Upto 5 kW\n(b) Above 5 kW and upto 10 kW\nI Above 10 kW\nRs. 1000/- per kW\nRs. 2000/- per kW\nRs. 5000/- per kW\n3\nAgriculture Service\n(a) Upto 20 HP\n(b) Above 20 HP\nRs. 1000/- per HP\nRs. 20000/- plus Rs. 500/- per additional HP\n\t\t\t\tsubject to maximum Rs. 35000/-\n4\nOther Service\nRs. 1000/- per HP or per kW\nVoluntary declaration of tampered meters (For Domestic Consumers)\n(1) The tampered meter shall be replaced with a new meter by the licensee at the consumer's cost, as the case may be, immediately and the licensee shall raise the assessment bill at two times the normal bills for the period of last six months reckoned from date of declaration.\n(2) The energy bill, for the period the meter is not replaced, shall be sent as per the procedure for defective meters.\n(3) The licensee shall not move the Special Court in case a consumer voluntarily declares the tampered meter and pays the requisite charges in time.\n(4) In case of default in payment, the procedure for booking the theft case may be followed.\n(5) The benefit of voluntary disclosure scheme can be availed once in life time for a particular consumer number.\nUnauthorised Use of Electricity (UUE)\nProcedure for booking a case for Unauthorised Use of Electricity\nNotice to consumer\nSubmission of consumer's reply\nHearing in case of suspected Unauthorised Use of Electricity\nAssessment\n(1) Period of assessment: If the Assessing Officer reaches to the conclusion that unauthorized use of electricity has taken place, he shall take into account the following and arrive at the least period (duration) of unauthorized use of electricity:\n(a) for the period of twelve months\n(b) for the period from the date of previous inspection if any by the licensee's officer to the date of detection from the date of service connection to the date of detection\n(c) wherever electronic meters are installed and the load curves are studied periodically, the period of unauthorized use of electricity could be limited to the exact period as could be determined scientifically.\n(d) Based on the valid document produced by the accused person.\n(2) Assessment charge: The assessment for units assessed as per clause 7.41 of this Code shall be done on the basis of applicable tariff and in accordance with the Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2007 and any subsequent amendments, excluding the consumption recorded by the meter or already billed during the assessment period at applicable tariffs.\n(3) If a consumer is found indulging in more than one act of unauthorized use of electricity, the charges payable by the consumer in respect of each such unauthorized use shall be separately assessed and billed accordingly.\n(1) In case of non-demand based consumers, if the connected load of the consumer is found in excess of load contracted, then the fixed charge shall be charged for the excess load at twice the applicable fixed charge as per the tariff. In addition to this, the energy charges to be recovered on differential basis at penal rate, if tariff of energy charge changes due to increased load with respect to the slab of contracted load and actual connected load.\n(2) If it is found that energy supplied is used for a purpose other than for which usage of electricity was authorized and/or energy is utilized for the premises/areas other than the premises/area for which the supply of electricity was authorized, assessment should be made as under;\n(i) Quantum of unauthorised use of energy, U = a x( b / c) kWh\nWhere\na - Total consumption recorded during the preceding period of existence of such violations limited to a specified period of assessment as referred in Clause 7.41 (1)\nb - Unauthorised load found at the time of inspection\nc - Total connected load found at the time of inspection\n(ii) Penal charges on account of unauthorized use of energy = (2 x U x d) - (U x e)\nWhere\nU - Quantum of unauthorized use of energy, kWh\nd - Tariff of unauthorized use\ne - Tariff of authorized use\n(iii) The period for computation in all such cases shall be as stated in Clause 7.41 (1) above.\nAppeal to Appellate Authority\nConsequences of default",
        "footnote": "",
        "is_definition": false,
        "sort_order": 5
    },
    "prev_section": "5",
    "next_section": "8"
}