Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Oct 29: Following the recent hike in prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and petrol, Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has imposed an additional burden of seven percent by way of power tariff hike for the consumers. The new tariff increase, which will be different for the five electricity supply companies (escoms) in the state, averages 28 paise per unit, and the average rate per unit of power consumed by people stands increased to Rs 4.70.

The new rates are applicable with effect from Friday October 28. KERC however, has declined to meet the demands of the escoms in the state for an increase of electricity rates by 88 paise per unit consumed. The burden of tariff will be varied for different categories of consumers. With this increase, urban consumers will have to pay an average of 25 paise per unit more than before, while the rural consumers will shell 20 paise per unit more. The fixed minimum charge has also undergone an increase of five rupees per kilowatt.

For the first 30 units for urban homes, and 100 units for rural consumers, the increase of tariff is ten paise per unit. For homes, added burden will be 50 paise if their usage of power crosses 200 units per month.  For the first units, urban consumers will pay Rs 2.20 per unit in place of Rs 2.10, Rs 3.40 per unit in place of 3.20, Rs 4.50 between 100 and 200 units instead of Rs 4.20, and Rs 5.50 per unit over 200 units in place of Rs 5 charged earlier.

Drinking water projects, trains run on electricity, and effluent treatment plants have been exempted from the latest increase. Power rate has however, gone up from Rs 1.25 to Rs 1.40 for agricultural pump sets, private nurseries, plantations etc which use pump sets with a capacity of over ten horse power.

While partially upholding the pleas of the escoms, KERC has advised them to reduce loss during transmission to less than ten percent, implement HVDS strictly at least in one of their divisions, and replace cables in respect of low tension distribution system, which will reduce transmission loss by five percent. It has advised replacement of obsolete pump sets of farmers with latest one, which will save considerable amount of power. It has advised them to also implement feeder separation scheme to ensure that rural belts get power all 24 hours of the day. It has also suggested for filling up of vacancies in the escoms in order to provide better service to consumers and to open well-equipped service centres to attend to complaints and grievances of the consumers.