Bak Bak Bilal: WTF Just Happened to Mumbaikars’ Electricity Bills?

Is Adani Electricity to be blamed for the spiked electricity bills?

What just happened to Mumbaikars’ electricity bills?

(Photo: The Quint)

After their takeover from Reliance, Adani electricity clearly did not have the best start with their customers, who are complaining about the drastic rise in their electricity bills. When The Quint asked Adani for a statement on it, they were very prompt with their response:

“RInfra filed Tariff petition to MERC on 22nd Dec 2017, MERC conducted Public Hearing on 2 Aug 2018 and reserved the Order. Adani took over RInfra’s Mumbai electricity business on 28 Aug 2018 and Tariff revision Order was issued by MERC on 12 Sept. 2018, which is effective from 1 Sept 2018. The tariff increase has no correlation with Adani taking over Mumbai distribution business. It is only a coincidence that the timing of tariff revision coincided with the takeover.

AEML Spokesperson

They have given some valid points in their statement but calling it a coincidence also makes it a little too easy for them.

Social media spares no one and once the frustrated common man is given a platform to express their issues, then there’s no stopping them.

The tweets go on and on. Although, the Adani electricity twitter handle has not left any stone unturned to prove to the people that it is not their fault and they are willing to hear everybody out and give valid responses to complains and fix every issue as soon as possible.

What Adani is also arguing is the rise in the usage of electricity in the month of October.

Further, the electricity consumption of the consumers increases in the month of October every year after withdrawal of Monsoon, due to increasing temperatures and humidity. Residential Slab Rates are applied telescopically i.e. when consumption increases, higher units fall under progressively higher slab rates. Due to this, increase in bill amount with increase in Units is non-linear i.e. bills increase significantly as more and more units fall into higher slabs.

AEML Spokesperson

This video is some “bak bak” over the whole issue and as to what has happened until now. Have people been compensated? Is Adani Electricity to be blamed? Is there a “loot” as congress leaders claim? Will the government intervene to fix this? Who decided the tariffs?

Camera: Sanjoy Deb
Assistant Camera: Gautam Sharma
Editor: Veeru Krishan Mohan
Producer: Bilal Jaleel