Punjab Govt admits electricity billing errors, says bills of 63,000 consumers to be corrected in 3 days
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, August 25, 2026: The Punjab government has acknowledged that a technical glitch in the electricity billing system led to errors in bills issued to consumers, with Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Saund saying corrective bills for around 63,000 affected consumers will be issued within three working days.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Saund said the billing problems were linked to two separate issues — a meter readers’ strike that disrupted regular readings in May and June, and a technical glitch that occurred during the migration of data from the old SAP system to a new billing platform.
According to the minister, the state has around 78 lakh PSPCL consumers, of whom approximately 63,000 were affected by the particular billing issue.
Saund explained that because regular meter readings could not be carried out during the meter readers’ strike, the system subsequently calculated average consumption when readings were processed. The situation became more complicated in July when electricity usage rose during the peak summer period.
For example, if a consumer’s recorded consumption for three months was 250, 250 and 450 units, the combined 950 units were divided by three, resulting in an average monthly consumption of about 316.6 units. This could push some consumers above the 300-unit threshold and affect their eligibility for the free electricity subsidy.
The minister said the government has now ordered that the affected bills be reviewed and fresh bills issued within three working days.
Consumers whose consumption was below 300 units in May and June will receive the applicable subsidy for those months, while the July bill will account for the additional consumption, he said.
Those who have not paid the disputed bills will receive corrected bills. Consumers who have already made payments will not lose the excess amount, as any additional payment will be adjusted in their next billing cycle.
Saund also addressed reports of unusually high electricity bills circulating on social media. He said an examination of the billing data found that 98 per cent of bills were correct, while around two per cent were affected by the software-related error.
The minister said the software glitch has been rectified and that the company concerned has been served a show-cause notice. Legal proceedings have also been initiated under the terms of a five-year legal bond, he said.
20-Member Team to Handle Billing Complaints
The government is also putting in place a dedicated customer-care mechanism to deal with consumer complaints. A 20-member team will be assigned to examine billing-related grievances.
Saund said complaints concerning suspected inflated bills would be investigated and resolved within 15 days after verification.
The minister urged consumers affected by the billing issue not to panic, assuring them that the government would correct the errors and adjust any excess payments made by consumers.