Patna, March 1: Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (Berc) has recommended a slew of measures for both North Bihar Power Distribution Company and South Bihar Power Distribution Company in the consumers’ interest.

In its tariff order for 2014-15, announced on Friday, Berc has asked the distribution companies to pay interest once a year on the security the consumers deposit at the time of applying for a new connection.

“The commission has directed the distribution companies to pay interest to the consumers once a year. Since the interest component would be too small for a consumer, the commission has asked these companies to pay interest once a year. If the interest amount is paid monthly, it would be paltry for consumers apart from complicating things by forcing companies to maintain books of accounts,” Berc consultant Nand Sharma told The Telegraph.

The interest amount payable to consumers should be adjusted preferably in the energy bill for May-June, Sharma added.

A domestic consumer, at present, has to deposit around Rs 400 per KW, while a commercial consumer has to deposit Rs 1,200 per KW as security money with the distribution companies while applying for power connection, the consultant said.

The commission has asked the distribution companies to take steps for timely delivery of bill, opening revenue collection centres and strengthening consumer complaint redress mechanism so that consumers do not have to face problems.

Berc, the regulatory body entrusted with the job of fixing electricity tariff rate for all kinds of consumers, has clarified that consumers must get at least 15 days’ time to deposit the bill, Sharma said.

Common complaints of consumers are that the distribution companies except for Patna or Muzaffarpur neither get meters read timely nor deliver bills on time. Most receive their power bills barely two to three days before the last date for bill payment.

“Mostly, we (consumers) get barely a day or two to deposit the energy bills. It makes things difficult for us to deposit the bill in the absence of adequate number of bill collection counters,” said Balkrishna Singh, a resident of Sitamarhi district.

“The commission has asked the distribution companies to open more collection counters/centres across the state apart from opening special and dedicated collection counters for senior citizens with facilities like shade, sitting arrangement and drinking water among other things,” Sharma said.

New connection

Bihar State Power (Holding) Company Ltd deputy general manager (public relations) H.R. Pandey said on Saturday there was no need of an affidavit from a notary or first-class magistrate for power consumers to take new connections.