The manner in which the
electricity tariffs have gone up, specially the increase in
meter charges, leaves the consumer at the mercy of the meter
reader. For instance, a person who uses 85 units per month (30
days) will exceed the 90 unit limit if the meter reader delays
the reading by about three to four days and will have to pay the
higher charge unit-wise as well as for the meter due to no fault
of his. Of course, the meter reader cannot be expected to be on
time each month due to intervening holidays and various other
unforeseen matters which may crop up. Has any method being
devised to avoid fleecing the consumer in instances described
above?It is opportune, I believe, to mention that the Kandy
Municipality water section revels in taking the consumer for a
ride by delayed meter readings. The date of the bill is always
prior to the date the actual reading is done and the customer
has to pay through his nose for the excess units when it exceeds
the given limits. The number of complaints, verbally and in
writing, has fallen on deaf ears and the habit continues with
the Municipality raking in millions at the expense of the
innocent consumer.
Also the people who devised billing on a staggered basis have
not realised that the water usage depends much on the inmates of
the house concerned. A poor family having more children will
consume more water than a rich family having less children.
Thus the theory that poor families are not affected by the
staggered unit basis is just silly thinking on the part of
officials who live in glass houses, as most of our politicians
do.
C. M. de Vas Gunasekera
Kandy
