Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC) has reduced tariff category-wise, without any change in fixed charges for the financial year 2025-26. The energy charges approved by AERC for Jeevan Dhara, domestic A and B and HT domestic categories have been reduced by Re 1 per kWh, and other categories reduced by Rs 0.25 per kWh. The new tariffs will be effective from April 1, 2025.
AERC Chairman Kumar Sanjay Krishna said, “After taking into consideration the submission made by the petitioners, objections, and suggestions received from respondents/stakeholders and other relevant materials on record, it is arrived at the decision to reduce power tariff. The commission has undertaken a prudent check of the submissions of the commission, and utmost care has been taken to protect the interests of the consumers as well as the utilities in arriving at its decision. Altogether, 12 respondents submitted their views and comments on the tariff petitions.”
The chairman said, “The APDCL said in its petition that it will face a deficit of around Rs 400 crore in the financial year 2025-26. As such, the APDCL wanted the continuation of the 2024-24 power tariff rates. However, after scrutinising all aspects, we have found that the deficit is much less than what APDCL claimed. If APDCL runs efficiently, they will not have the necessity to hike tariffs throughout the year.”
According to AERC, the average cost of power supply for 2025-26 works out to Rs 8.72 per kWh, as against APDCL’s proposal of Rs 9.70 per kWh. The approved average cost of supply for 2024-25 was Rs 9.55 per kWh. Therefore, there is a reduction of Rs 0.83 per kWh in the average cost of power supply.
According to AERC, APDCL has extended the time-of-day tariff to all categories of consumers except agriculture, having smart meters in compliance with the Electricity (Right of Consumers) Rules 2020 and its amendments. The time-of-day tariff shall be optional for consumers. However, for categories for whom the time of day tariff is compulsory under the earlier regime, the revised tariff shall be compulsory.
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