Current News: Volume VI, Issue 3, March 2021
Highlights
electricity consumers
Online quiz competition on Electricity Governance, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown situation, several schools initiated online classes., Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) undertook an online quiz competition to inculcate interest and enhance knowledge on electricity governance, energy efficiency, energy conservation and renewable energy.
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Training Programme at Auroville Consulting
Researchers and ECC Engineers from Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) attended a three-day training programme at Auroville Consulting (AVC) from 16 December 2019 to 18 December 2019. The programme focused on several topics ranging from TN Solar Policy 2019 and rooftop solar installation to e-mobility and smart grid systems. The sessions of the programme were designed and structured in such a way that each of them were supplemented with site visits and expert interactions.
Highlights of the training programme:
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Delivery of quality electricity services and consumer grievance redressal forum
This booklet provides information about various aspects of delivery of quality electricity services like the responsibility of the utility, compensation for failure of not doing the work and also the proceduce to approach Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF).
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Electricity service forms
This booklet provides the sample of various EB forms regarding the delivery of electricity services
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Procedure for new service connection
This booklet educates consumers about the procedure for new service connection and related charges.
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Know about meter reading
This booklet gives various information about meter reading and related charges
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Changes in service connection
This booklet educates consumers on procedure for new service connection, name transfer, shifting of service connection,temporary supply etc.
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Know about electricity billing
This booklet educates consumers about various aspects of electricity services such as billing procedure, interruption of supply, energy conservation etc
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Electricity Consumer Cells (ECCs) and Electricity Consumer Network (ECN)
Since 2016, CAG has been working to empower electricity consumers through education and awareness-building programmes. The aim is to educate electricity consumers about the administrative, judicial and regulatory processes of the electricity sector of Tamil Nadu. To address this broader objective, CAG has incubated Electricity Consumer Cells (ECCs) in seven districts of Tamil Nadu viz; Tiruvalllur, Tirunelveli, Cuddalore, Thiruvannamalai, Salem, Trichy and Vellore in partnership with seven consumer organizations. Through the formation of the ECCs, CAG aims to create awareness and demystify electricity process and concepts among the members of the Electricity Consumer Network (ECN). The ECCs, along with the experts, provide advisory services to the local consumers on various electricity issues that and eases the process of interaction between the utility and consumers. CAG also plan to conduct periodic outreach meeting and capacity building program to train the local community so as to promote transparency and accountability in the electricity governance. In simple words, ECCs will serve as an active mediator to take forward the concerns of the consumers to the service provider.
The quality of civil society participation in electricity administration and grievance redressal mechanism at the district levels in Tamil Nadu is low. This is especially true at various levels a) articulating electricity related problems faced by consumers and subsequent issues taken up by civil society organizations (CSOs) at the administrative level, b) citizens in effectively presenting their case before the consumer grievance redressal forum (CGRF), c) lack of quality inputs by CSOs in regulatory affairs, d) consumers’ lack of understanding of electricity issues, e) lack of common platform to enable stakeholders to engage in knowledge sharing. CAG has also been engaged in tracking energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) efforts in Tamil Nadu. Our work highlights that most of the EE and RE efforts are operational at the district and village levels e.g. Chief Minister’s Solar Housing schemes. However, CSOs in their area of operation are unaware and are unable to effectively participate to promote the schemes and to highlight the lacuna, if any. The above problems faced by CSOs are primarily due to lack of technical knowledge in the subject area and lack of support from specialized NGOs and electricity experts which will enable them to participate in electricity governance.