STELCO assures electricity bills will not be generated without meter readings

State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) has given assurance that they will not do anything to deceive the public and that electricity bills will not be generated without taking meter readings.

STELCO's Managing Director Hussain Fahmy said that STELCO is a company with a 75-year record of national service, and the issue of sending two bills close together is something that has been openly discussed through the media before. He stated that this decision was made for the benefit of customers.

Fahmy also said that this is not a bill for a single usage, and the dates of the meter readings will be visible on the bill. He explained that this bill is being sent to clear the backlog of the 20 to 25-day delay in bill delivery after taking readings in STELCO's previous billing cycle.

To alleviate potential financial difficulties for customers, a 30-day grace period has been given to pay this bill without incurring any fines.

Among the purposes of sending this bill, Fahmy mentioned preparing a single bill for the entire Ramadan month's usage from the first day of Ramadan until the end, which will include the discount decided by the government.

If we send the bill with the previously mentioned backlog, the discount would only apply to a portion of the Ramadan usage. Therefore, one of the objectives is to ensure customers receive the full benefit of the discount."

STELCO's Managing Director Hussain Fahmy

In addition to this, Fahmy stated that by clearing this backlog, starting from April, readings will be taken in the last week of each month, and the bill will be delivered the following day. This will allow customers to compare the reading on the bill with their meter, increasing customer trust in STELCO.

The government decided to offer discounts on electricity and water bills to provide relief for expenses during the fasting month of Ramadan. The government has stated that they will spend MVR 160 million on these discounts.