You may soon have to shell out more for electricity charges for the swimming pool, gymnasium or amphitheatre at your apartment complexes in Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has accepted a proposal by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) to charge electricity for these facilities at commercial rates, reported The Times of India.
TNERC has also asked TANGEDCO to fix separate meters for these facilities which were being billed earlier at domestic rates.
TANGEDCO made a request that billing at domestic rates must be restricted to common lighting, water supply and lifts. If there is more than one block, it wanted only one service to be provided for each block for common lighting, water supply and lifts.
TNERC accepted their request for restricting the billing at domestic rates, reported ToI.
In its order, TNERC stated that only one service will be provided for each block for common lighting, water supply and lifts. It also said that facilities like gymnasium, cannot be identified as part of any block and cannot be grouped under residential purposes.
They added that such facilities must be re-classified under appropriate commercial facility.
TNERC has asked TANGEDCO to provide separate metering and sub-metering arrangement after which, the revised billing will come into effect for facilities like gymnasium.
Power cuts
Meanwhile, residents of Mugalivakkam have been facing power cuts for at least one hour every day which is due to the overloaded distribution transformer in the locality. The residents of Kamakshi Nagar, Sabari Nagar and Sriram Nagar claim that these power cuts have been happening for years now. However, TANGEDCO officials claim that these power cuts are due to the roads dug by other government and private agencies, reported The New Indian Express.