(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) By Vyshnavy Velrajh
The Ministry of Power and Energy is taking necessary measures to rectify the issuing of electricity bills, with an overcharge, in certain areas of the country.
The Ministry in February extended the grace period granted for the payment of electricity bills by 2 months, by combining the bills issued for March and April.
This was due to consumers being unable to settle their outstanding electricity bills due to the islandwide Police curfew imposed as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka.
The Ministry also decided not to include the additional unit charges that would be incurred due to the high domestic usage of electricity during this period.
However, consumers from certain areas have been overcharged with the inclusion of additional unit charges, incurred due to the combining of bills for March and April, and the existing system under which charges are added for extra units after 13- days of the last date to settle the outstanding bill.
Minister of Power and Energy Mahinda Amaraweera told the Colombo Gazette that this was an error and is being rectified.
An estimated electricity bill, including the additional unit charges has been sent to certain consumers for the months of March and April, he said.
Consumers have been requested to pay the amount issued for February as charges for March and April.
They have also been informed that there would be a basic increase in units for March and April due to an increase in domestic usage as a result of the curfew, but additional unit charges will not be included in their future bills.
Officials from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will resume door to door visits to monitor the electricity meter of households, and will issue bills with charges for units utilised for domestic usage, and no additional unit charges. (Colombo Gazette)
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