Bengaluru: Just days after the state went to the polls, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Monday delivered a shock to the people by announcing a hike in power tariff across the state.
For domestic consumers, government and charitable educational institutions and hospitals, coming under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), the tariff increase is 25 paise per unit. The tariff for monthly consumption of up to 30 units has been increased from Rs 3.25 per unit to Rs 3.50 per unit and for consumption between 31 to 100 units, the tariff has gone up from Rs 4.70 per unit to Rs 4.95 per unit.
For domestic consumers in rural areas of Bescom (under village panchayats), the tariff for monthly consumption of up to 30 units has been increased from Rs 3.15 per unit to Rs.3.40 per unit and for consumption between 31 and 100 units it has gone up from Rs.4.40 per unit to Rs 4.65 per unit.
KERC chairman Shankarlinge Gowda said, “There is an average increase of 38 paise per unit, including an increase in fixed charges for Bescom customers and an average increase of 30 paise per unit for customers of other Escoms. The overall increase in tariff for the state is 5.30%.”
He said, “The tariff hike was to be announced in April, but due to the model code of conduct and elections around the corner, it was postponed. The revised tariffs will come into effect from April 1 and this will be adjusted with the bills in the coming months.”
The commission has approved concessional tariff of Rs 5 per unit to BMRCL with a reduction of Re 1 per unit from the existing tariff round the clock without ToD tariff and special incentive scheme.
To encourage electrification of the Railway which leads to reduction in carbon emission, the commission has approved concessional tariff to Railways at Rs 6 per unit round the clock (concession of 40 paise per unit) without ToD tariff and special incentive scheme. The tariff for effluent treatment plants and the sewage water treatment plants, located within the premises of the consumer installations, the tariff shall be the same as applicable to the respective category of installations.
The commission has marginally increased the tariff for low tension (LT) water supply installations by 15 paise per unit from the existing rate of Rs 4.25 per unit to Rs 4.40 per unit. The rate for HT water supply installations has also been increased by 15 paise per unit from Rs 4.85 per unit to Rs 5 per unit. To promote purchase and use of energy from renewable sources, green tariff at 50 paise per unit over and above the applicable tariff for HT Industries and HT commercial consumers at their option has been continued.
“We observed that there is no consumption by high tension (HT) consumers, as we had expected. We will provide incentives to these industries like discount of Re 1 per unit between 10 am and 6 pm and Rs 2 discount for consuming power between 10 pm and 6 am,” said a KERC official.
