Uttarakhand residents continue to receive inflated power bills, demand urgent reforms

Bageshwar: Residents across Uttarakhand are grappling with distress as cases of inflated power bills continue to surface. In a recent incident from Haldwani near Nainital, a middle-class senior citizen, HD Joshi, received an electricity bill of Rs 46.6 lakh. After analysing the meter's MRI and historical readings, Uttarakhand Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL) revised the amount to just Rs 330, highlighting discrepancies in the billing process.
This is not an isolated incident. In Bageshwar district, inflated electricity bills have become a persistent issue, particularly in rural areas. During a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting held on Friday, chaired by Union minister of state Ajay Tamta, Kapkot MLA Suresh Garia questioned officials of the electricity department. In response, SDO SS Bhandari admitted that in many instances, billing is done without field verification, leading to numerous inaccuracies.
Shiv Singh Bisht, vice chairman of PMGYSY Committee, said, "The burden of these errors is falling heavily on poor consumers. Several low-income households with minimal power usage are being charged exorbitant amounts. One woman, who uses only a single bulb, received a bill of over Rs 1,000."
Residents from Garur and other rural areas also reported receiving bills several times higher than usual for the past few months. Pushpa Devi, a resident without a television or refrigerator, claimed she consistently receives inflated bills every month. Another consumer, Shankar Singh, reported erratic billing — citing one month's bill at Rs 8,000 and the next at Rs 1,500, with inconsistent figures between mobile alerts and printed receipts.
Local residents are now demanding greater transparency in the billing system and proper training for meter-reading staff. Several have alleged that generated bills remain incorrect even after physical meter checks, while others report not receiving printed bills at all. Calling for a systemic reform, consumers and local leaders alike are now urging the UPCL to overhaul its procedures to ensure fair billing, accountability, and restored public confidence.