The hike in power tariff up to 13 per cent by Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has come as a shocker for the middle class families and industrialists in the State especially Faridabad and Gurgaon neighbouring the national Capital.

The hike came into effect from April 1. According to the officials of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), which supplies electricity to the entire Southern Haryana including Gurgaon and Faridabad, the domestic household will have to pay Rs2.98 per unit which was earlier Rs2.70 for consuming 0 to 40 units in a month.

For the middle class flat or plotted house in both the cities, where the power consumption is more than 1,000 units are the worst affected as in the slab, the HERC has fixed the tariff at Rs5.98 per unit for consuming more than 800 units a month.

Earlier, the domestic consumption band was in four categories: up to 40 units; up to 251 units; 400 units; and 400 units and above. Now, it has been divided into six bands for domestic consumers.

In the new slab, power consumption between 41 and 100 units will be charged Rs4.75 per unit, which used to be Rs4.50 per unit earlier. Consumption of more than 100 units and up to 800 units will be billed differently in three different sub-categories. In such cases, the second slab of 40-250 units will be billed at Rs4.98 per unit and the next slab between 251-500 units will be charged Rs5.60 and between 501-800 units will be charged Rs5.98 per unit.

This band between 100 units and 800 units covers the maximum household. The domestic users whose total consumption is more than 800 units a month, will be charged Rs5.98 per unit.

Gurgaon and Faridabad being the industrial hub will be severely affected with the new tariff. The owners of factories and industries claimed that with the hike in tariff, their production cost will also increase. The HERC has hurt both middle and big industry by revising the power rates above and below 50 kilovolt (kV) load.

“As per the new slab, factories with 11kV supply will be charged Rs5.30 per unit. Factories having 33kV supply will have to pay Rs5.20 unit for every unit. Unit having 66kV to 132 kV supply will be charged Rs5.10 per unit and big factories having 200 kV supply will have to be charged Rs5 for every unit and units over 400 kV supply will be charged Rs4.95 per unit,” said Subhash Deshwal, Superintending Engineer, HERC.