POWER TARIFF IN HP HIKED BY 15%

CHARGING UP No effect on domestic consumers as state government increases subsidy under budgetary provisions

SHIMLA : The State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) in its revised tariff rate for 20182019 fiscal has increased the power tariff for domestic users by 15% as compared to that in 2017-18.

The new approved tariff comes to ₹3.3 per unit for 2018-19 as compared to ₹2.85 per unit for last year. The government has, however, also hiked the subsidy given on the tariff, so there will be no impact on the beneficiary domestic consumers.

The roll back subsidy to electricity consumers of domestic and agricultural categories comes under a state budgetary provision of ₹475 crore.

The revised tariff on supply of electricity by the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) has been made effective from April 1, 2018.

"Though there has been increase in the tariffs for domestic category, accounting for subsidy provisions made in the budget by the state government keeps the rates at the same level as last year’s. Therefore, there is no effective increase in energy charges for the domestic consumers, and they will continue to pay the same charges as earlier," said SERC executive director (tariff) KL Gupta.

CONCESSIONS RAISED

The SERC has also increased the night-time concession for extra high tension (EHT) and high tension (HT-2) industrial category of consumers from 40 paise/kVAh for June, July and August to 60p/kVAh, and from 20p/kVAh to 40 p/kVAh fro other months.

Peak time charges, wherever applicable, have been kept at the previous-year level, except for a very marginal increase of 7.5 paise per kWh for small industries having contract demand less than or equal to 20kVA.

For agricultural consumers under Irrigation and Drinking Water Pumping Supply (IDWPS) category, the energy charges shall be 75p/kWh to the consumer category up to 20kW under single-part tariff and 75p/ kVAh for LT category under two-part tariff.

The revised energy charges on the account of government subsidy will only be applicable to agricultural and allied activities.

FILLING THE GAP

The total revenue income and expenditure approved for HPSEBL for 2018-19 are ₹5,396 crore and ₹5,389.26 crore, respectively.

Considering the revenue from existing tariff, a revenue gap of ₹138 crore has been observed for financial year 2019. Therefore, the commission has approved an overall tariff increase to meet up this gap. "There has been no increase in energy charges for bulk supply, public lighting and temporary supply category of consumers," said Gupta.

“There has been an average increase of 1.5% in tariff on industrial power supply, 1.5% for non-domestic non-commercial, 2.5% for commercial and 3% for domestic water pumping supply categories,” he said.

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There is average increase of 1.5% in tariff on nondomestic noncommercial power supply, 1.5% for industrial, 2.5% for commercial, 3% for domestic water pumping supply. There is no increase in charges for bulk supply, public lighting and temporary supply.

KL GUPTA, executive director (tariff), SERC