DERC to adjust tariff structure for low-end power consumers

New Delhi: Under increasing attack for hiking the electricity rates, Delhi's power regulator DERC on Monday started a process to adjust the tariff structure to bring down monthly bills of low-end consumers by up to 18 per cent.

Following widespread complaints of inflated power bills, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) last month had proposed to revert to the original slabs for calculating power tariffs which was abolished while effecting a 26 per cent hike in tariff for domestic consumers in June.

The DERC held public hearings on Monday on the proposal which was strongly supported by all Resident Welfare Associations and number of other participants including supporters of BJP. The hearing was marred by strong protest against the tariff hike by two groups -- one led by BJP's Vijay Goel and the other by Arvind Kejriwal.

"The power bills of those consumers whose monthly consumption do not exceed 250 units will come down by 15 to 18 per cent if we scrap the 0-400 units slab and restoring the original slabs of 0-200 units and 201-400 units," DERC chairman PD Sudhakar.

A domestic consumer is now charged Rs 3.70 per unit if his consumption does not exceed 200 units but if the consumption goes above 200 units then Rs 4.80 per unit is charged as per the new slab of 0-400 units.

The abolition of the 201-400 units slab and introduction of 0-400 units slab had resulted in significant increase in electricity bills of majority of consumers whose consumption does not exceed 400 units.

The DERC, now, has proposed to charge Rs 5.70 per unit for consumption between 201-400 units. "We will take a final decision on the issue in the next few days," Sudhakar said, adding that the DERC may hold another round of public hearing on the issue.

The regulator had proposed to effect the change in slabs with retrospective effect from July 1 when the hiked tariff came into effect.

If the new proposal goes through, then consumers will be charged Rs 3.70 for first 200 units and then Rs 5.70 for power consumption between 201 to 400 units.

Meanwhile, senior Congress MLAs Mukesh Sharma and Narendra Nath today sent a letter to DERC seeking abolition of the 0-400 units slab.