Days after actor-turned-BJP MP Kangana Ranaut alleged that she received an electricity bill of nearly Rs 1 lakh for her unoccupied home in Manali, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) responded with a detailed clarification. The Board stated that the bill included previous dues and reflected consistently high electricity usage.
At a recent public meeting in Mandi, a video of which later went viral, Ranaut criticized the state’s Congress-led government over what she described as an “inflated” electricity bill. “I received a bill of ₹1 lakh for one month for my house in Manali. I don’t even live there. It is such a miserable condition,” she said.
In its statement, HPSEBL called Ranaut’s claims “completely wrong and misleading.” The board clarified that the total bill of Rs 90,384 covered two billing cycles – January and February – and included unpaid dues of Rs 32,287.
The electricity connection, registered under the number 100000838073 in Ranaut’s name, is located at her residence in Simsa village, Manali. According to HPSEBL, the connected load for the property is 94.82 kW – approximately 1,500 per cent higher than that of a typical domestic connection.
The board further noted that Ranaut had not paid her electricity bills for October, November, and December 2024 on time. These outstanding payments had accumulated to Rs 82,061. The latest payment, made on March 28, settled dues for January and February, during which the property consumed around 14,000 units of electricity.
Ranaut, a first-time Member of Parliament from Mandi, has been vocal about governance and infrastructure issues since taking office. Her remarks about the electricity bill were part of a broader critique of the state’s public service delivery under the Congress administration.
