Chandigarh, Feb. 19 -- Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL) has refunded meter rental charges to nearly two lakh consumers in compliance with directions issued by the joint electricity regulatory commission (JERC) and the electricity ombudsman. The meter rental charges had earlier been abolished by JERC. However, the electricity wing of the engineering department, Chandigarh (EWEDC), continued to levy the charges between April 1, 2023, and November 5, 2024. Following complaints by consumers, the consumer grievance redressal forum (CGRF) in November 2024 directed EWEDC to refund the amount collected during this period. As the directions were not implemented, the matter was escalated to the electricity ombudsman. Subsequently, the JERC initiated suo motu proceedings. While EWEDC was responsible for refunding the amount, CPDL, which took over electricity distribution operations on February 1, 2025 - was required to credit the refund to consumers' accounts. In compliance with the regulatory directions, CPDL received consumer-wise data from the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), calculated the refundable amount along with applicable interest, and credited it directly to consumers' electricity accounts. Officials said the large-scale refund exercise was facilitated through CPDL's recently implemented in-house billing system. The refunded amount has been reflected under the "meter rental" head in recent electricity bills. A CPDL spokesperson said the company has ensured timely compliance with regulatory orders and remains committed to protecting consumer interests while maintaining transparency in billing practices....