DERC issued directions on overcharging by discoms

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday issued directions to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Authority (DERC) about over charging by power distribution companies (discoms) on additional sanction load in commercial, industrial power consumption and Domestic category.

Delhi Power Minister Satyender Jain on Wednesday held meeting with the Delhi Trader Association over complaints that all the power discoms – BSES Yamuna, BSES Rajdhani and North Delhi Power Distribution Company – are collecting accumulated charges of meters installments, while the discoms are only entitled to levy charges on additional kilo watt (KW).

In the national capital, around 48 lakh electricity connections fall under the domestic category, while around 80 per cent of the consumers are covered by the Delhi government’s subsidy scheme.

An electricity bill in Delhi has five components — energy charge (EC), fixed charge (FC), an eight per cent surcharge for liquidation of revenue gaps of discoms, 3.8 pension surcharge and a five per cent electricity tax.

According to the complaint, the discoms are charging over the entire sanctioned load, including additional load.

“If any consumer is interested to increase consumption from two kilo watt to three KW, then the discom should charge only additional load one KW only. But the discom charges over three KW. It is absolute illegal,” said Jain at the meeting.

It is pertinent to mention here that around 26 lakh domestic consumers in the Capital have sanctioned load of up to 2 KW and 16.5 lakh with sanctioned capacities between two-five KW.

For an average household of four members, with a sanctioned load of 3 KW, the impact of the new tariff order will be as follows: the prevailing fixed charge for connections falling in three-five KW Range is Rs 35.

This has been raised to Rs 140 by the DERC. However, that should not automatically lead to an astronomical hike in one’s power bill.