Electricity to get cheaper in Haryana

Chandigarh: Electricity rates are set to get cheaper in Haryana by as much as 16.43 percent for the 2015-16 period.

Power consumers having consumption between 101 to 500 units per month would now get a benefit of 50 paise per unit for initial 150 units consumption, says the latest HERC order.

All the consumers having monthly consumption between 500 to 800 units per month would now get the benefit of lower tariff slabs also, an official said here today.

"The Commission has now revised the tariff for category of consumers having consumption of more than 100 units/month and up to 800 units/month by giving them the slab benefit as was available in this tariff order for financial year 2014-15.

The Commission was of the view that a large number of lower middle class consumers fall under this category and will therefore benefit from the revised DS tariff," the order said.

The power regulator has also reduced the monthly minimum charges for domestic category consumers.

"To cushion the tariff shock to the genuine very small DS consumers, subsisting at the margin of the society, the Commission reduced MMC from Rs 120/month to Rs 115/month for connected load up to 2 kW for the marginal DS consumers as given above. The MMC for all other domestic category shall, however, remain unchanged," as per the order.

"The impact of these changes in the domestic tariff/MMC on the ARR for the financial year 2015-16 will be offset through efficiency gain by way of cost reduction including O&M expenses, the uncovered revenue gap of Rs 667.11 crore for financial year 2015-16 as given in the Tariff Order dated May 7, 2015 shall remain unchanged," it said.

The BJP-led Haryana government is facing criticism from various quarters, including consumers and political parties, for considerable increase in electricity bills of people.

The Opposition, including the Indian National Lok Dal and the Congress, had held statewide protests and sit-ins to lodge their protest against the increase in power bills. Earlier, HERC had raised power tariff by 8.5 percent in its order on May 7 which were effective from April 1 this year.

The latest order with revision in power tariff came after consumers filed review petition with the regulator.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has welcomed the revised order passed by Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) on electricity tariff for domestic consumers in the state.

He said new tariff will bring down power tariff by 16.43 percent for domestic customers.

Khattar hailed the reduction in monthly minimum charges of Rs 5/KW per month. This would benefit the consumers belonging to economically weaker section of the society.

He also asked power distribution companies to ensure that the consumers who have paid the bills issued as per the existing tariff be issued revised bills as per the new tariff and the refunds be adjusted in their subsequent bills.

The consumers, who are yet to pay the bills issued as per the existing tariff, would also get the revised bill as per the new tariff.

For rest of the consumers, the bills would be issued as per the new tariff only and they would be allowed to pay the arrears in five installments without any surcharge.