DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

As per order of HERC on the Tariff Petition of Haryana Discoms dated 28.03.2025, the tariff of various categories has been revised w.e.f. April 2025.This is the first tariff hike since FY 2017?18, introduced after a gap of seven years, despite a consistent rise in power procurement costs and operational expenses. Itis highlighted that the ability to keep tariffs unchanged for nearly a decade was made possible due to enhanced operational efficiency and strict financial discipline.

Over the past decade, from FY 2014-15 to FY 2024-25, AT&C (Aggregate Technical & Commercial) losses have been significantly reducedfrom 29 % to 10 %.

As per the revised electricity tariff structure, the Minimum Monthly Charges (MMC) have been abolished for all categories of domestic consumers. For Category-I domestic consumers (with a connected load of up to 2 kW and monthly consumption upto 100 units), there is a significant reduction in monthly bills?ranging from 49% to 75% when compared with that ofFY 2014-15. Compared to FY 2024-25 rates without MMC, the increase in bills is within 10%.

However, when compared with the rates of previous tariff structure with MMC, the billed amount has decreased significantly. Furthermore, for Category-II consumers (with a connected load of up to 5 kW), the increase in bills over FY 2024-25 ranges between 3% and 9%.

However, in comparison to FY 2014-15, the majority of consumers in this category are experiencing a reduction in their bills, with only a few slabs seeing increases of less than 1%.Around for 94% of the total domestic consumers fall under Categories I and II.

For Category-III consumers, the increase compared to FY 2024-25 ranges from 5% to 7%. It's worth noting that for lower consumption levels within this category, the percentage increase may seem higher.

(editor@dailyworld.in)