Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Sep 24: The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has given electric shock to people who are on the verge of celebrating Dasara. Tariff of electricity is hiked again within a span of just five months. The revised rates will be applicable from October 1 itself.

The KERC is citing Fuel Adjustment Charges as the reason for the present increase in the unit rate. Generally ESCOMs of Karnataka buy electricity from various power manufacturing companies. There is provision to collect the charges for the purchase from the consumers.

According to the order of KERC permission is granted to Bescom to increase unit price by 43 paise, Mescom by 24 paise, Cesc 34 paise, Hescom and Gescom 35 paise each per unit.

Due to this adjustment price all consumers will have same burden of extra charges. This means that the excess charges will be same for household consumers as well as huge industries.

With this increase, the consumers are burdened with increase of Rs one per unit in just nine months. In November 2021, 31 paise was increased per unit which was applicable from April of 2021 itself. Later, in April 2022, again Rs 35 paise was increased.

Usually provision is made to increase the tariff every three months in order to balance the increase in price of coal. However, to avoid increasing burden to consumers every now and then, this increase is made for six months. The new rates will be applicable till March 2023.

In the first trimester (April-June 2022), all Escoms of Karnataka have bought electricity worth Rs 1244 crore from Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) and Central electricity generation centre (CGS). The Escoms had sent a proposal to increase the unit price of electricity by 75 paise per unit for next three months. However, KERC has approved only Rs 37.41 paise increase for six months period.