The power in my house again got disconnected on August 21 despite me paying the bill on August 17.
Published: Mon 28 Aug 2017, 8:00 PM
Updated: Mon 28 Aug 2017, 10:42 PM
Electricity in my house was disconnected on July 17 due to late payment. It happened since Sewa (Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority) started the paperless bill system about three months ago. Now, residents have to check their bill online or go to the Sewa office to check on the bill. Earlier, the paper bills used to come between the first and sixth of every month. Now no one knows when we have to pay the bill to avoid disruption. The power in my house again got disconnected on August 21 despite me paying the bill on August 17.
The explanation given was that the reading was taken on August 10, which got reflected in the bill only after August 17. Power was disconnected in about 70 apartments in our building. Between July 17 and August 21, the power was disconnected twice despite payment of bills. I was told to pay the bill online to get the power reconnected. But what happens to those who are not tech savvy? There are people who have spent two days without electricity in this hot summer. Sewa should inform residents each month by SMS on the date of payment and give at least a day's notice before disconnecting.
- Name withheld on request