Consumers in Punjab to shell out more for power

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Chandigarh, Jul 4 : As expected, power tariff in Punjab has gone up by about 21 paise per unit according to the tariff order released by the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) on Friday morning and that too with retrospective effect from April, 2008.

Chairman of the PSERC, Jai Singh Gill told FE on Friday, “Increase in tariff rates for first slab of domestic consumers will be 3.4% and 4.8% in case of agricultural sector.” For all other categories except public lighting and bulk supply categories, increase of 2% has been proposed. Incidentally, agriculture sector is supplied free power by the Punjab government. The state government releases subsidy to the Punjab State Electricity Board every year in lieu of free power.

The average cost of supply for the year 2008-09 will work out to 364.45 paise per unit as against 343.99 paise per unit last year. No increase in tariff has been proposed in case of public lighting and bulk supply category. In the schedule of tariff another category 'single point supply to cooperative group housing societies' has been introduced.

In the new power tariff applicable from April 1, 2008, domestic consumers belonging to SC category with connected load up to 1,000 watt will be given 200 unit of free power per month for which subsidy will come from the state government, non-SC BPL domestic consumers with connected load up to 1,000 watt will be given 200 unit free power per month. Consumers from agriculture sector who are provided free power will also not be charged service charges and metre rentals in view of government subsidy.