the big story

A message from the editor

We officially turn one-month old today. And what a brilliant launch month it has been! We started on this adventure on a wing and a prayer—and the priceless support of the first batch of founding members who created a critical lifeline in the very first week. We cannot thank you all enough! 

We have earned ourselves some breathing space for now. But we still need to grow—and quickly—to both survive and thrive. So I’m asking all of you to please share the love and spread the word. 

And be sure to use your referral link—available at the bottom of your daily email and your account page on our website (top right corner of the nav bar). It helps us keep track of all the excellent people you bring on board. Also: we can then offer you a gift of appreciation—either twelve more months of splainer or an Amazon gift card for Rs 1,000. (All of this is laid out in our FAQ)

Every founding member or annual subscription is a building block for  a bright and long future together. Share splainer on your social networks, via WhatsApp, with friends, fam and colleagues. And if you harass perfect strangers, know that we will love you even more. 

The story of the sky-high bijli bill

The TLDR: This month, people across the country got a very rude shock when they received their electricity bill—which was anywhere between three to fifteen times the usual amount. The culprit: The lockdown which first deflated the owed amount between March and May—and has now sent it soaring. Here’s a short explanation of how this happened.

 Sticker shock syndrome

• The bills that arrived on our doorsteps were so high that even celebs like Vir Das complained. Taapsee Pannu, for example, was charged Rs 57,000 for a vacant apartment. 
• What seemed like a Mumbai-only problem soon proved to be a national trend—and even politicians weren’t exempt. 
• In Madhya Pradesh, a BJP leader’s bijli kharcha sky-rocketed from Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000 in June. 
• The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) received about 100,000 complaints about bills received during the lockdown period. 
• Even Delhi—where electricity is heavily subsidised—was not immune. Residents—including commercial establishments that lay empty—received bills that were often thrice the usual amount.

The lockdown effect

Complaints, suggestions or just wanna say hi? Talk to us at talktous@splainer.in