Power bill to rise by 5-11%

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11

The Chandigarh Electricity Department has once again levied fuel and power purchase cost adjustment (FPPCA) charges on consumers.

The levy will enhance the electricity bills of more than 2 lakh consumers by 5 to 11 per cent.

Sources said the charges, which are being levied for the first quarter of this financial year (from April to June 2018), would be reflected in the bills of consumers from August 1 to October 31 this year.

The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has authorised the Chandigarh Electricity Department to compute the fuel and power procurement cost variations on quarterly basis and recover the difference from consumers.

While the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission enhanced the electricity rates in April this year by 15 per cent, the department has burdened consumers in another way within four months of the last hike. Recently, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation had approved cow cess and municipal cess on the electricity bills.

The new charges will increase the amount of power bills by 5 to 11 per cent depending upon the category of consumer. The charges have been levied for all types of consumers — domestic, commercial and industrial. The charges range from 14 paise per unit to the maximum 61 paise per unit over and above the existing rates being levied on consumers.

Baljinder Singh Bittu, president, Federation of Sector Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC), said the fuel and power purchase cost adjustment charges were unjustified and they would oppose these.

Pankaj Khanna, president of the Industries Association of Chandigarh, said the charges would put an extra burden on the industry.