Nagpur: The queue outside the MSEDCL grievance and smart meter awareness camp on Wednesday was filled with consumers carrying more than electricity bills. Many arrived burdened by mounting dues, financial stress and hopes of finding answers to soaring power charges.Among them was Varsha Patil of Jogi Nagar, who earns ₹14,000 a month but received an electricity bill of ₹17,000. Patil said her household does not use an air-conditioner and yet consumption jumped from around 311 units in May last year to 915 units this May.“My monthly bill earlier ranged between ₹2,500 and ₹3,000. After receiving unusually high bills, I visited the MSEDCL office and was allowed to pay an instalment of ₹7,000. But my June bill was again ₹7,000, taking my arrears to ₹17,000,” she said.Similar concerns were raised by several consumers who queued up at the camp hoping for a resolution. Many said they were unable to understand the sharp rise in consumption reflected in their bills and questioned how families could afford the increased charges.Sushma Lakshane of Pratap Nagar said her electricity bill surged from ₹8,000 to ₹19,000 in a single billing cycle. “A middle-class family cannot afford to pay such high bills,” she said.“I had a smart meter installed around six to eight months ago. For the first four months, everything was normal, but after that my electricity bills started rising sharply. Earlier, my monthly bill was around ₹600-700, now it has gone up to nearly ₹2,400,” said Imran Sheikh, a Dighori resident.Consumers said they had expected answers or relief at the camp, but many left feeling their concerns remained unresolved.“My son is unwell and requires hospitalisation. MSEDCL installed a smart meter at my home when I was away. In the past several months, my consumption never exceeded 200 units, but it suddenly jumped to 526 units and I received a bill of ₹8,000 in May. My average bill used to be ₹700-800, and in June I received a bill of around ₹18,400 because I could not pay the May bill,” said Bhuvan Kaikade, consumer at Shubhan Nagar substation camp.(with inputs from Arya Pawar, Sophie Hocquet, Sneha Singh, Bhavya Badjate, Tanishka Ghuguskar and Aishwarya Moroney)
