Myth about Bi-Monthly Billing System for Electricity Consumers in the State of Haryana

There has been a misconception among electricity consumers in India about the monthly/ bi-monthly billing systems. Such misconception is not limited to any specific city or state but across the country. Most of the consumers meeting the author during his awareness campaign have expressed their concern saying the bi-monthly billing is doubly charged as the rates are on a slab basis and theses slabs get over in the first month itself and in the 2nd month of the bill, the rates become flat rate system or in the next higher slabs because the slab rates get over in the first month of the bill. Unfortunately in the sector of Electricity, the higher the consumption, the higher is the rate per unit. While the author has been giving a practical demonstration from the copies of the bill brought by the attendees in the workshop proving that the billing system won't make any financial deception to the consumers whether charged on monthly billing or bi-monthly billing system,. However, looking at the size of the population in India, we still have the misconception prevailing in the country.  A recent newspaper report substantiates what has been said above. 

An article titled Misconception or Deception on monthly/ Bimonthly billing by Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) was published in this blog on 11th June 2020. The article can be pursued by the readers by clicking  at  URL http://skvirmani-jagograhak.blogspot.com/2020/06/misconception-or-deception-on-monthly.html

The intention of this article was to clear an air among consumers who were under the impression that the bi-monthly billing becomes double to monthly billing. It can be briefly explained that the slabs are made on a per month basis or 30 days basis and these slabs are increased on a pro-rata basis accordingly. In simple words, if the first slab is to say 0-50 units on a monthly basis, the bill for two months basis would be raised to 0-100 units on a bi-monthly billing system. In other words, it a misconception that the bi-monthly billing becomes double for the same consumption if charged on a monthly billing system. In fact, the consumers would find the bi-monthly billing system being more economical than the monthly billing system, The monthly billing system finds favors with the Distribution Companies.

Govt of Haryana had in the recent past came out in a bid to reduce the burden onto the electricity consumers across the State of Haryana, a scheme of subsidy was provided wherein the consumers would be charged lower rates from the eligible consumers based on a consumption basis and the difference in the amount between normal rates and subsidized rates would be paid by Govt. of Haryana to the Discoms. 

However, consumers have perceived that due to the bi-monthly billing system prevailing in the state of Haryana, most of the consumers become out of the eligibility for the reduced subsidized rates. In other words, the consumers are under impression that they would be eligible if the monthly billing system in adapted instead of the bi-monthly billing system. A newspaper report has appeared in Navbharat Times, Faridabad on 12th September 2020. A copy is attached for the perusal of the readers. The title of the NBT Report itself indicates consumer's ignorance on the subject. "दो  महीने  का  बिल आने से नहीं हो रहा टैरिफ प्लान का फायदा - एक साथ बिल देने से बढ़ जाती है बिजली की यूनिट "

As per the scheme of Govt of Haryana for the subsidy to Electricity Consumers and the Tariff Orders fixed by HERC, the following would be the applicable rates of units for domestic consumers:

Unit Rate as per HERC Tariff Order dtd. 1^st June 2020

Category	Consumption up to units month	Normal Slab		Unit Rate (Rs.)
		(Monthly Billing)	(Bi-Monthly Billing)
I	100 units per month	0-50	0-100	2.00
		51-100	101-200	2.50
II	800 units per month	0-150	0-300	2.50
		151-250	301-500	5.25
		251-500	501-1000	6.30
		501-800	1001-1600	7.10
III	More than 800 units per month	0-801 and more	0-1601 and more	7.10

 There are Three categories of electricity consumers as categorized on the basis of consumption per month basis as explained in the above:

1. Category 1: Those whose consumption does not exceed 100 units per month or 200 units per billing cycle of Bi-monthly billing system, will have two slab rates i.e 0-50 or 0-100 (bi-monthly) and 51-100 or 101- 200 (bi-monthly) and will be charged Rs. 2.00 and Rs. 2.50 per unit respectively.  
2. Category 2: The consumers whose consumption exceeds 100 units per month or 200 units per billing cycle of two months but consumption does not exceed 800 units per month or 1600 units per billing cycle of two months would be charged on a slab rate basis.  
3. Category 3: The consumers whose consumption exceeds more than 800 units per month on a monthly billing cycle or 1600 units per two months billing cycle would not be provided any slab rate system or telescopic billing. Instead, these consumers would be charged for all the units at a flat rate of Rs. 7.10 per unit. 

As can be seen from the above, it is immaterial whether the bill is raised on a monthly basis or a bi-monthly basis, the unit rates shall remain the same. The total amount of the bill per month whether generated on a monthly billing system or bi-monthly billing system shall remain the same. Hence, it is a myth that if the bill is raised on a bi-monthly basis, they will not be able to take advantage of slabs or the slabs formulated on a monthly consumption basis shall get exhausted in the first month and the 2nd month would be higher. If say a rate is for 100 units in one month, the same rate would be applicable for 200 units if billed on a bi-monthly basis.    

Whereas the Discoms are always preferring to charge the electricity consumption on monthly basis as it being to their advantage, the consumers' advantage lies on a bi-monthly billing system basis. It is a myth that the consumers do not get a subsidy because of the bi-monthly billing system or the bi-monthly billing is charged doubly to a monthly billing system as far as rate/ unit is concerned. A copy of a bill has been uploaded which clearly indicates that the consumer whose consumption was 1726 units for 68 days of the billing cycle has been provided a subsidy of Rs. 1,706/-  This itself clears the misconception that billing on a bi-monthly basis would keep the consumer out of purview for subsidy. 

The author would be pleased to clarify any doubt of any of the consumers irrespective of whether the consumer belongs to Haryana or elsewhere in any other state. 

A copy of this article is being mailed to Navbharat Times (NBT) Faridabad for its perusal and publishing as an addendum to their post.