In a relief to majority of the domestic power consumers in Andhra Pradesh with a monthly consumption up to 500 units, the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has spared them from any increase in the tariff for 2020-21.
Besides, the telescopic billing for all domestic consumers would be based purely on the monthly billing and not on their annual consumption during the previous year.
The telescopic billing for domestic consumers even with monthly consumption up to 500 units was categorised into three groups – A, B and C for the current (2019-20) year.
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In the retail supply tariff for 2020-21 released here on Monday, APERC Chairman Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy along with members P. Raghu and P. Ram Mohan stated that consumers with monthly consumption above 500 units would be charged higher at ₹9.95 per unit from the existing ₹9.05 per unit.
The Commission has also pruned the revenue gap estimated by the two distribution licensees – AP Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd and AP Eastern Power Distribution Company Ltd – and three RESCOs in their annual revenue requirement filed before it to ₹10,061 crore from ₹12,954 crore. The Commission stated that the State government would bear the entire revenue gap in the form of subsidy given for 9-hour free power supply to agriculture sector and other categories of consumers.
“The subsidy for free power to agriculture, sugar cane farmers and rural nurseries would be about ₹8,354 crore for 2020-21, 18% higher than ₹7,064 crore provided for 2019-20. It will benefit about 18 lakh farmers having pump sets for cultivation of crops”, the APERC Chairman said. He said that the new tariff had spared burden on the 99.07% (1,43,65,000) out of a total of 1,45,00,000 domestic consumers in the State.
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Other takeaways in the new tariff including relief to government hospitals, government educational institutions and non-profit making organisations as they have been spared from the time of day (ToD) tariff and included in the HT general category from the existing LT commercial category. The free power supply to dhobi ghats would be continued in 2020-21 too.
Railways, EVs’ tariff
The traction tariff for railways has been fixed at ₹5.50 per unit against ₹6.50 per unit proposed by the Discoms. Similarly, the tariff for charging of electrical vehicles has been fixed at ₹6.70 per unit as against ₹12.25 per unit proposed by the Discoms. The existing traction tariff is ₹3.75 per unit and fixed charges of ₹350 per KVA.