25% waiver on fixed electricity charges

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh administration will waive 25% fixed electricity charges for twoand-a-half months up to June 15 for all categories given the scenario during the Covid-19 lockdown.

UT administrator VP Singh Badnore took the decision on Friday at a daily review meeting.

Residents and commercial units have been demanding the waiver after hardships faced during the two-month lockdown period.

Fixed charges for commercial users being paid separately over and above the consumption charges range from ₹30 per kW per month to ₹200 per kW per month.

Significantly, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) had turned down the demand for waiving the fixed charges component of the electricity bill in its tariff order of May.

The JERC in its May order had stated: “The electricity department has to incur expenditure towards the capacity charges of power purchase and operation and maintenance, which are fixed in contrast to the energy charges which are payable for purchase of energy per unit. These expenses have to be recovered from the consumers and this is done by having a two-part tariff. Thus, the recovery of these expenses from the tariff is also levied on two-part tariff basis.”