Consulting rooms ulnder 200 sq.ft. of professionals such as lawyers, doctors, and chartered accountants, which are attached to their residences, will attract power tariff under domestic category and if they exceed 200 sq.ft. will attract commercial tariff, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has clarified.
Similarly, for consulting rooms away from residences, the commercial tariff would be applied, it said.
HC directive
The clarification is based on a directive from the Madurai bench of Madras High Court. The court had told the electricity officials to approach the TNERC for clarification in a case filed by Tiruchi-based lawyer Syed Tajudeen Madan.
Mr. Madan had taken the first floor of the residential premises for rent to run his office and electricity charges were demanded under commercial tariff from the premises.
Tangedco’s query
Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd. Chairman and Managing Director had sought clarification from TNERC, based on the directive.
The State electricity regulator said the consultation rooms attached to the residence and those not attached to the residence of professionals were classified differently.
There could be two classifications namely consulting rooms attached to the residence of the professionals and consulting rooms which were away from the residence of the professional, it added.
Non-domestic use
In case of consulting rooms attached to the residence, the substantial use of electricity would be for domestic use and in case of consulting rooms not attached to the residence of professionals’ power was used for non-domestic purposes, it said.
