Except BEST users, rest of the state to pay higher power bills

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) on Wednesday marginally reduced power tariff for customers of Brihanmumbai Electricity State Transport (BEST). On the contrary, it slightly increased tariff for customers in the suburbs. In addition, customers of state-owned Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Limited (MSEDCL) will have to pay more. Farmers using electric pumps for agricultural purposes will also be charged more.

BEST proposal of reducing rates by up to 1% for residential consumers (depending on the category of units consumed) and average 6% to 8% for commercial and others was approved by MERC.

There has been a price rise for customers of power distributors in the suburbs. Those using electricity provided by Adani Power (earlier R-infra) will have to pay an additional hike of anywhere between 0% and 4%. Tata Power too has increased its tariff for residential users by 8%.

Similarly, MSEDCL customers in Thane, Navi Mumbai and other parts of the will face an increase between 2% and 5%. Farmers too will have to pay more, as MERC approved the hike of 5% to 6%. Around 42 lakh farmers in Maharashtra used subsidised electricity for agricultural pumps.

BEST distributes electricity across the island city while Adani Power and Tata Power are licensees for electricity distribution in the suburbs. Similarly, state owned MSEDCL supplies power to certain parts of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and the rest of Maharashtra. MERC chairperson Anand Kulkarni said suburban customers will witness a negligible rise (0% to 1%). He said, “MERC has decided to increase power rates for domestic and agricultural consumers, other than Mumbai.”