13% power tariff hike in HP

HPERC chairman Subash Negi said that of the total revenue requirement of Rs 4,156 crore for 2012-13,only Rs 412 crore have been allowed to be met through the new tariff hike. A deficit of Rs 733 crore will remain uncovered.

The increase proposed in case of BPL families (domestic) is Rs 2.10 per unit to Rs 2.50 upto 40 units per month. For other categories,the new rates will be Rs 2.85 per unit,up from the existing Rs 2.35 per unit for 40 units but there will be a subsidy of Re 1.

Domestic consumers covered in the slab of 125 unit per month will now be paying Rs 3 per unit against Rs 2.50 having a subsidy of Rs 1.10 per unit. New tariff for two other slabs between 126 to 250 units and 251 units and above will be Rs 3.90 per unit against Rs 3.45 and Rs 4 per unit against Rs 3.50.

State’s principal secretary (Power) Deepak Sanan said the state government has asked HPERC to give consumers a relief of Rs 280 crore to soften the hike so that there will be no burden on domestic consumers.

There are a total of 20.28 lakh consumers in the state. “No increase in tariff for all private agriculture irrigation consumers have been recommended as state government has decided to fully subsidise the increase. This will benefit about 15,000 consumers,” said an HPERC spokesman

HPERC has also not proposed an increase for small consumers in the commercial category upto a load of 20 kW to benefit 2.26 lakh (more than 95%) of the total of 2.30 lakh commercial consumers which include shops,hotels,private offices and banks.

Non-Domestic-Non-Commercial (NDNC) consumers having a load of upto 20 kW (about 19,000 consumers,nearly 91% of the total 20,500 NDNC consumers) have also been exempted. NDNC consumers include health and educational institutions and religious places.

HPERC has also not increased consumer service charges and meter rent for all categories of consumers and exemptions will be allowed in the peak hours consumption charges. Night hours concessional charges period has been extended now to cover 10 pm to 6 am against existing mid night to 6 am.