The new financial year brings tidings of yet another electricity tariff hike. Keeping up with the trend in the past few years, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Monday announced a 20 to 60 paise hike in tariffs for all electricity supply companies across categories. The percentage of hike is around 6 %, according to KERC Chairman M.K. Shankarlinge Gowda.
The revised tariffs, announced late owing to the election model code of conduct, will be applicable retrospectively from April 1. The five ESCOMs had, in their tariff petitions submitted last year, sought a hike ranging from 82 paise to ₹ 1.62 per unit for the financial year 2018-19.
Last year, the KERC had allowed a hike of an average 8% in tariff for 2017-18, though ESCOMs had sought an increase of 25 %. The average tariff increase was 48 paise per unit for all categories. The hike the ESCOMs had asked for was ₹ 1.48 per unit.
