Delhi gets a power tariff shock, again

The hike will be applicable from Saturday.

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) on Thursday approved a rise in power tariffs by the three discoms in the city.

DERC has given its nod to fuel surcharge of 7 per cent for BSES Yamuna Power, 4.5 per cent for BSES Rajdhani Power and 2.5 per cent for Tata Power. The hike in tariff will be applicable on consumption beginning Saturday till February 14 next year.

With this increase, over 19 lakh customers of BSES Yamuna in the 14 districts in east and central Delhi will see a maximum hike of 7 per cent.

North and northwest parts of Delhi will see the lowest hike at 2.5 per cent. While the 19 districts across south and west will see a hike of 4.5 per cent.

The fuel surcharge relates to power purchase adjustment charges introduced in 2012 and levied to compensate the discoms for variations in fuel costs in the market. The DERC last raised PPAC in May and had discontinued it in July.

Chairman P D Sudhakar told Newsline: “The increase in surcharge is in compliance of a court order. The impact on the consumers will be much less due to the government subsidy.”

Fraud on people: AAP

AAP has condemned the tariff hike, saying that DERC has failed to perform its duty as an independent regulator and its decision seem to benefit the discoms. “The AAP feels the tariff hike is a fraud on the people of Delhi, who are being punished for not having an elected government. We promise that the AAP will cut the electricity tariff by half when it comes to power,” the party said.

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Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “BJP govt again increases power tariff in Delhi. BJP promised to reduce it by 30pc. BJP made a U-turn…We promised to reduce it by half and we did it. When AAP forms govt, we will again reduce tariff by half.”

Kaunain Sheriff M

As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations. Areas of Expertise Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety. Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps. Global Collaborations Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects: The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry. Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time. Awards & Recognition His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors: Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia) Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club) Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots). Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision. Social media LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99 X ( fromerly Twitter): @kaunain_s ... Read More

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