Tue Jul 08 15:05:06 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
The Coimbatore Corporation has initiated an energy audit of borewell and streetlight electrical connections to assess power consumption, identify unused connections, and correct billing errors. Concerns have been raised about the continued charging of fixed costs for unused borewells, which is causing significant unnecessary expenditure.
**News Article:**
**Coimbatore Launches Energy Audit Amid Concerns Over Unused Connections**
**Coimbatore, July 8, 2025** – The Coimbatore Corporation has commenced an energy audit of borewell and streetlight electrical connections across the city in an effort to optimize energy consumption and reduce unnecessary expenditure. The audit aims to identify inactive or redundant connections, temporary connections that have not been shifted, and discrepancies between sanctioned load and actual usage.
According to Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran, a dedicated team, supported by an experienced professional from Tangedco, is conducting the audit. “The audit focuses on identifying and addressing issues such as temporary connections that haven’t been shifted, inactive service lines, and cases where the sanctioned electrical load exceeds actual usage,” stated Prabakaran.
However, concerns have been raised by consumer groups regarding the continued charging of fixed costs for thousands of unused borewells in the region. K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, highlighted that approximately 3,396 borewells under Tangedco have been out of service for over 15 years, yet continue to incur fixed charges, costing taxpayers an estimated ₹28 lakh per billing cycle.
Kathirmathiyon further emphasized that the recent increase in fixed charges for local bodies under Tariff 2A, now ₹220 per kilowatt, has exacerbated the financial burden. He urged the Corporation and other local bodies to disconnect and surrender unused connections, and to close abandoned borewells to prevent avoidable expenditure. He also noted that some temporary and streetlight connections are still being billed despite infrastructure changes. The audit is expected to provide a clearer picture of the scale of the problem and inform the Corporation’s strategy for addressing these issues.
First Piper 