Electricity rates are set to get cheaper in Haryana by as much as 16.43 per cent for the 2015-16 period. Power consumers having consumption between 101 to 500 units per month would now get a benefit of 50 paise per unit for initial 150 units consumption, says the latest HERC order.
Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission on Friday issued revised power tariff orders providing relief to large number of power consumers in the state. The reduction in tariff would be effective from April 1, 2015.
As per the new tariff structure, the consumers with consumption between 101 units to 500 units would now have benefit of 50 paisa per unit for initial 150 units consumption. All the consumers having monthly consumption between 500 to 800 units per month would now get the benefit of lower tariff slab.
Also, there would be reduction in monthly minimum charges (MMC) of Rs 5/KW per month for the connected load upto 2 KW. This would especially benefit the consumers belonging to economically weaker section of the society.
The tariff for consumption of 0-150 units (as per the telescopic tariff system) will be Rs 4.50 per unit now while for the consumption of 151-250 units, Rs 5 per unit would be charged.
For consumption of more than 251 units upto 500 units, the charges would be Rs 6.05 per unit.
Rs 6.75 per unit would be charged for the consumption of more than 501 units upto 800 units. The consumers who have paid their bills as per the existing tariff would now be issued the revised bills as per the new tariff and the refund would be adjusted in their subsequent bills. And, the consumers who are yet to pay the bills issued as per the existing tariff would also get the revised bill as per the new tariff. For rest of the consumers ,the bills would be issued as per the new tariff only.
The power consumers would also be allowed to pay their arrears in five installments without any surcharge. Welcoming the revised order passed by HERC on electricity tariff for domestic consumers in the state, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal said that this order would bring relief in the electricity bills of domestic consumers.
Notably, Haryana Government had in May announced an increase of about 8.5 percent in power tariff with effect from April 1, 2015.
After these orders, a large number of complaints were received by the HERC regarding excessive billing and huge arrears levied by the Discoms on account of revision of tariff w.e.f April 1, 2015 due to change in tariff slabs.
The Congress and INlD had also slammed the Manohar lal Khattar led BJP government in Haryana for raising power tariff.
Peeved over the hike in power tariff by Haryana Government, a group of locals in Kaithal district had
reportedly hurled stones at a cavalcade of BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini earlier this week.
The cash-strapped state electricity distribution companies (discoms) -- Uttar Haryana Bijli Nigam ltd (UHBVN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam ltd (DHBVN) -- had proposed a 15 percent hike in power tariff for all categories of consumers last year. According to ARR petitions, UHBVN and DHBVN had projected revenue gaps of Rs 3,898 crore and Rs 2,820 crore respectively.