Power tariff hiked, but marginally

Ranchi, July 22: Electricity bills of domestic consumers will go up marginally from August 1 with the power regulator rejecting Jharkhand State Electricity Board’s (JSEB) demand of a 100 per cent increase in tariff, allowing only a modest average hike of around 18.5 per cent.

According to the new tariff structure announced today by Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC), domestic consumers with an installed load of 1 kilo watt (KW) and consuming up to 200 units per month would have to pay Rs 1.25 per unit against the existing rate of Rs 1.10 along with a fixed charge of Rs 20 per month.

Those with installed load of up to 4KW would be charged at a new rate of Rs 1.90 per unit, against the existing rate of Rs 1.50, up to 200 units; and Rs 2.40 per unit, against the existing rate of Rs 1.90, in case consumption exceeded 200 units in a month.

Consumers (with 4KW installed load) will be levied a fixed charge of Rs 35 a month, up from Rs 25 at present, in case consumption is below 200 units. For consumption above 200 units, a monthly charge of Rs 50 would be levied instead of the existing Rs 30.

Announcing the new rates, JSERC chairman Mukhtiyar Singh said the average increase of 18.5 per cent in power tariff would result in an annual increase of Rs 395 crore in revenues for the state electricity board.

“The annual revenue of JSEB will go up from Rs 2,137 crore to Rs 2,532 crore. The new rates will be effective from August 1,” he said, but clarified that the rates were provisional.

As per the Electricity Act, JSEB was required to submit audited accounts to the regulatory commission for fixing the energy tariff. But, since the board was yet to do so, a provisional tariff structure was announced today.

“The energy tariff will be revised once the audited accounts are submitted to the regulatory commission. It might go up or it might even be reduced, depending on the audited accounts,” the JSERC chairman explained.

JSEB’s tariff proposal, submitted to JSERC for the 2011-12 fiscal, had called for charging urban domestic consumers at Rs 2.95 per unit up to 200 units and Rs 3.95 per unit for consumption exceeding 200 units. However, today the regulatory commission rejected the board’s demand of a nearly 100 per cent hike.

According to the new rates, commercial establishments like shops, business enterprises and offices, with an installed load of more than 2KW, will now have to shell out Rs 150 per month as fixed charges, instead of the previous Rs 110.

For electricity consumed, the new rates would be Rs 4.80 per unit, an increase of 75 paisa. For those with installed load of less than 2KW, the new rate would be Rs 1.50 per unit, against the existing rate of Rs 1.35, and a fixed monthly charge of Rs 25.

For high tension industrial consumers, the rates have been hiked from Rs 4.35 to Rs 4.90 per unit, while fixed charges have been revised from Rs 165 to Rs 205 per month.

For rural consumers, a marginal increase of 5 paisa has been announced.

Today’s announcement came after Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, New Delhi, rejected petitions filed by Jharkhand Induction Furnace Association, Jharkhand Small Scale Industrial Association and Federation of Jharkhand Chambers of Commerce and Industries praying for freeze on energy rates till such time JSEB filed updated accounts, duly audited by government auditors.

In his tariff order, the JSERC chairman also laid down several ground rules for JSEB.

“Bills for monthly energy consumption should be submitted to consumers by the state electricity board every month. Consumers should be allowed a minimum period of 15 days to pay the bills. Where bills cannot be supplied to consumers every month, no delayed surcharge can be levied by JSEB,” the tariff order said.

The order also directed JSEB to set up proper redressal mechanisms for the benefit of consumers. General managers would be required to hold camps once every three months in their respective areas to hear consumer grievances.

“For new connections, consumer numbers should be allotted immediately. At present consumers are forced to run from pillar to post for months together to get a consumer number. Such numbers should be allotted immediately,” the JSERC chief has ruled.