TNERC rejects plea to include water treatment, sewage treatment plant connections under domestic tariff

A resident welfare association had petitioned the Commission to allow water treatment and sewage treatment electricity connections under the domestic tariff, rather than the commercial category

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has rejected a plea by Eden Park Residents Welfare Association, Siruseri, to categorise electricity service connections for a water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant and life safety fire hydrant pumping system under the domestic electricity tariff category (LT-IA).

In its petition, the Association said it has 3 metered connections, one each for a sewerage treatment plant, water treatment plant and fire hydrant pumping system. Till August 2018, these connections were billed under the domestic category (LT-lA) as applicable for other common usage services like lights, water pumps and lifts. The Association said since August 2018, Tangedco has changed the billing for these three connections to Commercial (LTV) tariff, citing TNERC’s last tariff order which restricted common supply under domestic tariff to services only like common lighting, water supply and lifts.

Clean drinking water, sanitation and life safety measures are fundamental rights of the citizens, and labelling them as commercial function and levying commercial tariffs is absolutely unfair and unjust, the Association contended.

TNERC said if all these service connections are reclassified under LT-IA or under any suitable tariff category, it would be tantamount to revision of tariff. The regulator said it has clearly restricted the usage of electricity supply for common lighting, common water supply and lift only, and there is no ambiguity at all.

Inclusion of the water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant and fire safety in LT Tariff I-A was neither sought for nor rejected in the Tariff Order, it noted.

TNERC said any specific inclusion under a Tariff category can be decided only after hearing the stakeholders at large, and it cannot be considered at the request of a petitioner, when there is no imparity or ambiguity in the prevailing Tariff order.

The Commission also expressed surprise over three separate LT service connections being effected in the same premises, when there is an express provision to group them as common facilities.

Tangedco shall have to take note and strictly act according to the provisions of the TNERC’s Distribution Code 2004 and the Tariff orders issued from time to time, it added.

TNERC directed Tangedco to evolve a proposal containing the details of similar services in Tamil Nadu including number of services obtained for water treatment plants, sewage treatment plants and fire hydration systems, their energy consumption per annum and submit this along with its next tariff petition.