Cemig's energy bill - Illustrative image Cemig A resident of Dores do Indaiá, in the Center-West of Minas, who had R$37,400 debited from his bank account after an undue charge on his electricity bill will be compensated by Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (Cemig). The decision of the 5th Civil Chamber of the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais (TJMG) upheld the company's conviction. As a result, Cemig must return the R$37,400 unduly charged and pay R$10,000 in compensation for moral damages. The decision can still be appealed. In a statement, Cemig stated that it respects and complies with court decisions. Regarding the case, the company reported that the consumer unit's contract was terminated and that it issued an invoice for final consumption. See the full note below. ? Click here to follow the g1 Centro-Oeste de Minas channel on WhatsApp According to the process, the consumer used to pay around R$25 per month for the electricity bill, but received an invoice for R$37,437.64 due to a failure in the dealership's system. As the account was registered for automatic debit, the R$37,437.64 was automatically debited from the consumer's bank account to settle the undue charge. According to the process, Cemig's system recorded April's consumption at 64,052 kilowatt-hours (kWh), while May's reading appeared as zero. As a result, all consumption was concentrated on a single bill, increasing the bill value to R$37,437.64. Consumer asked for double refund After the episode, the man took legal action. In the first instance, Cemig was ordered to return the R$37,400 unduly debited and to pay R$10,000 in moral damages. The consumer appealed the decision and asked for an increase in compensation, in addition to a refund of double the amount debited. According to the consumer, the dealership offered a credit of R$37,000 to deduct future bills. However, considering its average monthly consumption, the amount would take around 125 years to be used. Cemig acknowledged the technical failure in billing processing, but stated that the error occurred without bad faith. The company also claimed that it had already made credit available to consumers and that there was no reason to increase the compensation amount. Cemig uses artificial intelligence to identify faults before the power outage TJMG decision When analyzing the appeal, the case's rapporteur, judge Marcelo Paulo Salgado, understood that the undue billing and automatic debit caused financial loss and psychological distress to the retiree. Therefore, compensation for moral damages and full refund of the amount charged were maintained. However, the magistrate rejected the request for a refund of double the amount charged. According to him, this type of conviction requires proof that the company acted deliberately or with bad faith, which was not proven in the process. Judges Áurea Brasil and Carlos Levenhagen followed the rapporteur's vote and fully maintained the sentence of the District of Dores do Indaiá. READ ALSO: Workshop is ordered to compensate owner of stolen truck inside the establishment Construction company is ordered to pay compensation and rent reimbursement for late delivery What Cemig said "Cemig informs that it respects and fully complies with court decisions, strictly observing current legislation and regulatory parameters applicable to serving consumers in its concession area. The company reinforces its commitment to providing a quality service, continually acting to maintain high technical standards and guarantee the safe and reliable supply of energy to miners and mining companies. In the case in question, the consumer unit's contract was terminated in May 2025, when the invoice for final consumption was issued. After the consumer contacted the company, the situation was promptly analyzed and addressed. VIDEOS: see everything about the Central-West of Minas,