No hike in power charges for FY 2019-20

Vijayawada: As promised by the state government on several occasions in the past not to increase power tariff, the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) on Friday announced the Retail Supply Tariff Order for the financial year 2019-20 without raising power charges to the consumers.

Moreover, the existing tariffs were lowered by rounding off to the nearest five (5) paise or 10 (10) paise for all categories of consumers benefiting 39.42 lakh consumers (HT and LT).

APERC chairman Justice G Bhavani Prasad along with the members of the panel Dr P Raghu and P Rama Mohan announced the power tariff for the financial year 2019-20 in Hyderabad.

While releasing the highlights of Retail Supply Tariff Order, chairman Bhavani Prasad said that there was no direct or indirect hike in energy or demand charges or any other charges contributing to tariff or non-tariff income to any category of consumers except Railway Traction.

He further disclosed that the peak time i.e. Time of Day charges for industry were reduced from Rs 1.05 per unit to Rs 1 per unit. The Annual Revenue Requirement of both the distribution licencees for 2019-20 projected a deficit of Rs 8,962.44 crore and the commission, after a close and careful analysis, estimated the expected deficit to be Rs.7,064.27 crore, thus avoiding the possible burden of Rs 1,898.17 crore on the consumers or the state government.

The existing 16 categories, 51 sub-categories and 25 slabs are now reorganised into five categories, 30 sub-categories and 21 slabs to be applicable for 2019-20, without omitting any existing category or sub-category. There is no hike in tariff to any category of consumers due to simplification of categories, said the chairman.

Railway traction tariff is reasonably increased from Rs 300 /kva to Rs 350/kva (demand charges) and Rs 3.50/unit to Rs 3.75/unit as against the proposal of licencees for Rs 390/kva (demand charges) and Rs 3.95/unit (energy charges).