THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Your bimonthly electricity bill is all set to get heftier. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has filed tariff revision proposals eyeing an average increase of 8.5 per cent in the electricity tariffs prevalent in the state. The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) will take a final decision on the proposals after holding public hearings. Prepared in the multi-year tariff (MYT) format for the 2018-19 to 2021-2022 period, the proposals were submitted to the commission on Thursday evening. This is the first time the KSEB is filing the proposals under the MYT regime.
The new KSERC (Terms and Conditions for Determination of Tariff) Regulations, 2018, require it to file the Aggregate Revenue Requirement and Expected Revenue from Charges (ARR & ERC) petitions and the tariff proposals for four years at one go. As per the proposals, the tariffs for the LT-1 (Domestic category) will go up in the range of 15 paise to 95 paise between 2018-19 and 2020-21. For a number of slabs, mostly in the higher-end non-telescopic section where the consumer has to pay the same rate for every unit consumed, the KSEB has proposed a reduction in tariffs. For instance, for consumption above 500 units, the rate will come down from Rs 7.50 to Rs 6.90 by 2020-21.
Meanwhile, the KSEB proposes a sharp increase in the fixed charges for the domestic category. The charges will go up from Rs 30 to Rs 35 for single phase consumers in the 0-150 unit bracket and Rs 75 for 151 units and above during 2018-19 and 2019-20. It will go up to Rs 50 and Rs 100 respectively during 2020-2021. For three-phase consumers, it will go up from Rs 80 to Rs 90 for 0-150 units and Rs 130 for 150 units and above during 2018-19 and 2019-2020. During 2020-21, it will rise to Rs 120 and Rs 160 respectively. Likewise, the KSEB has proposed a hike in tariff and fixed charge for other consumer categories, including commercial and industrial. “We have avoided requesting a revision for consumer categories whose tariffs are already at their maximum.
The average hike in tariff is 8.5 per cent,’’ said KSEB chairman and managing director N S Pillai. The KSEB has projected a revenue gap of Rs 1,100.70 crore during 2018-19, Rs 1,399.05 crore during 2019-2020, Rs 2,065.28 crore during 2020-21 and Rs 2,518.92 crore during 2021-22. Under the new tariff regulations, October 31 was the last date for filing the proposals. With 2019 being election year, KSEB was eyeing a tariff revision this year itself since the governments hesitate to burden the public when elections are around the corner. The KSERC will decide on the KSEB proposals after holding a series of public hearings. The hearings are likely to be held towards the end of November, commission sources said. The government’s stand also will prove crucial in this regard.