UP News | Electricity rates did not increase for the fourth consecutive year in UP, relief to Greater Noida and rural consumers
-Rajesh Mishra
Lucknow: Giving big relief to more than three crore electricity consumers of Uttar Pradesh, the rates have not been increased this time. The Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPSERC) has kept the electricity rates unchanged in the current year. For the first time, the commission has also fixed separate rates for green energy. Not only this, while changing the slab for rural consumers, the Regulatory Commission has also reduced the electricity rates for households spending more than 300 units per month. Electricity rates have been reduced by 10 percent for the consumers falling in the area of ​​Noida Power Company Limited. People living in Greater Noida will benefit from this.
The Regulatory Commission has given a rebate of 10 percent in the electricity rates of the electricity consumers of Noida Power Company. As per the order of the commission, rural consumers using more than 300 units per month will now have to pay Rs 5.50 per unit instead of Rs 6. The Regulatory Commission has rejected the proposal of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited while announcing the electricity rates on Thursday after the public hearing. All the distribution companies affiliated to the corporation had proposed to increase the electricity rates before the regulatory commission.
Electricity companies had proposed to increase rates from 18 to 23%.
The power companies had proposed to increase the electricity rates by 18 to 23 per cent before the Niyam Commission. It may be noted that electricity rates for domestic consumers have not been increased in Uttar Pradesh for the last four years. In its order, the Regulatory Commission has asked all electricity workers to compulsorily install meters at their homes considering them as domestic consumers. After this, the employees of power companies will not be able to consume electricity for free. In its order, the Regulatory Commission has rejected the expenditure on smart meters and asked the power companies to compensate them by improving their efficiency. The commission has fixed the transmission tariff at 26 paise per unit.
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State Electricity Consumer Council welcomed the decision
Welcoming the commission’s order, State Electricity Consumers’ Council President Awadhesh Verma said that Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country where there has been no increase in electricity rates for the last 4 years. On the other hand, the power companies of the state have once again got a surplus of about Rs 7,988 crore for the consumers. The Electricity Regulatory Commission has cut 50 per cent of the Rs 1,000 crore it had approved earlier to only Rs 500 crore for delayed implementation of the Compensation Act.
Electricity companies will compensate the expenses on smart meters
The Electricity Regulatory Commission approved only 86579.51 crore annual revenue requirement for the year 2023-24, ignoring the annual revenue requirement of 92564.89 crore filed by the power companies. Along with this, the purchase of 133.45 billion units has been approved against the 140.96 billion units shown by the power companies. The distribution losses demanded by the power companies were 14.90 per cent. Only 10.30 percent has been accepted by the Electricity Regulatory Commission. Awadhesh Verma said that accepting the point of the Consumer Council, the Electricity Regulatory Commission has rejected the expenditure on this smart meter and has asked the power companies to compensate it.