Thahira vs Kerala State Electricity Board - Kseb on 17 December, 2025
7. The respondents rely on Southern India Marine Products Co. v.
Kerala State Electricity Board and Others (MANU/KE/0404/1995), and
Indus Towers Limited v. Kerala State Electricity Board and Another, (W.P.
(C) No. 29244 of 2015) (Kerala High Court), to contend that where the
meter is intact, sealed, and in proper working condition, external issues
such as wrong connections, phase disconnection, or wiring defects do not
render it "faulty" and do not attract Regulation 125. They also note that
after the petitioner sought rectification, the R-phase tapping point was
cleaned and re-fixed, following which the meter began recording
accurately, confirming that the anomaly was external. The respondents
assert that the consumer cannot retain the benefit of reduced billing
2025:KER:97221
W.P(C) No.22214 of 2022 7
arising from such a connection defect and that the licensee is statutorily
entitled to recover the actual charges when under-recording is
established. Recovery of legitimately undercharged amounts is stated to
be consistent with Section 45 of the Electricity Act, the Supply Code
framework, and the public interest, and therefore, the assessment, as well
as the orders of the CGRF and the Ombudsman, are fully legal, valid, and
binding.