More than 3.5 lakh premises, both residential and commercial, in Tamil Nadu have installed more than one connection at the same address to show consumption of less than 500 units and avoid higher tariff, state-owned discom TANGEDCO has found.
“Nearly 99% consumers have linked Aadhaar with their power connections. With the data from these connections as well as through an exclusive software, we have come to know that more than 3.5 lakh households have more than one connection on the same premises,” said an official.
As per TNEB rules, an address must not have more than one connection.
“For example, if a domestic household uses more than 500 units and if there is only one connection, then the tariff will increase after a total consumption of 500 units. Thus, many households have more than one connection so that their consumption remains within 500 units,” said the official.
TANGEDCO has found that in the domestic sector, many independent houses have more than one connection. “In the domestic sector, we found that there are many bungalows in urban as well as rural areas that have more than one connection in the same premises,” said the official.
The discom has reportedly taken note of such addresses. “In big bungalows, if there are two floors, there are at least three connections. One for the garden and ground floor, one for the first floor, and yet another for the second floor. If it is the same family which is occupying all the floors, there must be only one connection. But we have found a minimum of three connections,” the official further said.
The official added that if a part of such properties is let out on rent, then a separate connection is allowed. But in many bungalows, members of the same family reside in separate floors and are not allowed to have separate connections.
In the commercial sector, many shops and establishments have divided the area on the same premises, and have two separate connections. “For the commercial sector, there is a fixed charge and the same changes if the shop crosses a level of power consumption. Just to prevent paying more fixed charges, the shops have more than one connection,” said the official.
Steps have been taken to inform the commercial sector not to have more than one connection on the same premises. “We are working towards getting shops and establishments to comply with the one connection rule. But it is for the state government to give us the nod to take steps against domestic households that have more than one connection.”
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