Energy Forum of Vidarbha Industries Association organised a webinar on “Energy Bills related Issues & other issues which MSEDCL consumers are facing”. The eminent speakers were R B Goenka, Vice President of VIA, Sushil Goenka, Director of Goenka Switchgare Pvt. Ltd; Ashish Chandarana, VIA EC member from Akola Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and Prashant Mohota, Chairman of VIA Energy Forum.
During the presentation issues related to Energy bills issued by MSEDCL of June & July 2020 for HT, LT & Captive Power plant consumers with suggestions for remedial actions were also discussed. Dr Nitin Raut, Hon’ble Energy Minister of Maharashtra was also present during the webinar.
Earlier Suresh Rathi, President – VIA welcomed the participants and guests speakers and in his opening remarks, elaborated future plans of VIA being taken up for betterment of industrial consumers. Prashant Mohota, conducted the session.
VIA has filed a petition on MERC on KVAH Billing related issues, the details of petition with prayer to MERC to provide a grace period of 1 year for calculation of KVAH was highlighted in the presentation. R B Goenka pointed out that there are discrepancies in MSEDCL Energy bills issued in the month of June & July 2020 particularly the demand charges which were added in the energy bills equivalent to 1/3 amount of total demand charges which was not collected during previous 3 months as per MERC order because of Covid-19 pandemic.
MECDCL made a provision for online reduction in contract demand during the Covid-19 period and also a retrospective sanction of reduction in demand was made but later on the retrospective sanction was withdrawn without any reason. This retrospective sanction was not done even after submission of online applications but was done by MSEDCL authorities for selected consumers including the dates on which reduction was to be implemented. Most of the consumers’ applications were rejected without any reason and prospective reduction in demand was given.
In the energy bills for the month of July 2020 the demand charges which were not charged are being collected in three monthly instalments but the dates of reduction in demand was not correctly done which was pointed out in his presentation and suggested the consumers to check their energy bills based on tips provided.
Ashish Chandarana, elaborated on LT industrial consumers billing issues and pointed out the discrepancies in the energy bills and suggested consumers to check their energy bills and submit queries to MSEDCL accordingly.
Prashant Mohota elaborated on the incentives in tariff including Vidarbha & Marathwada incentives being provided and highlighted the proposed changes required to be done in these incentives for different category of consumers, since most of the consumers are not getting or getting reduced incentive after revision in tariff wherein power factor incentives are not being provided to HT consumers because of KVAH billing.
Shushil Goenka explained the technical reasons for higher KVAH consumptions recorded by the meter and remedial action to be taken to mitigate this problem.
The webinar was attended by a large number of industrial consumers, who raised different queries which were replied to by the speakers to their satisfaction.
