BENGALURU: From October 1, citizens will have to pay more in their electricity bills as a part of the fuel adjustment charges (FAC).
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission in an order dated September 19, 2022, released on Friday (September 23, 2022), has ordered to allow all electricity supply companies (Escoms) to make adjustments in the power tariff as a part of the FAC from October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
According to the orders, consumers in Bescom limits will have to pay 43 paise more per unit, while consumers of Mescom (Mangaluru Electricity Supply Corporation Limited) will have to pay 24 paise more. Consumers of CESC (Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited) will pay 35 paise more and consumers under HESCOM (Hubballi Electricity Supply Corporation Limited) and Gescom (Gulbarga Electricity Supply Corporation Limited) will paise 35 more, each per unit.
The order stated: “The commission having recognised the increase in FAC along with an increase in overall power purchase cost, during the first quarter of the financial year 2023, decides to allow Escoms to collect the FAC per unit of sales in all the energy bills to be issued from October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.”
Earlier the KERC had given permission to Escoms to make adjustments in the tariff from July 2022 to December 2022 in the range of 21 paise per unit to 31 paise per unit. The KERC had announced an average hike in power tariff by 35 paise per unit, with effect from April 1, 2022.
A senior official from the energy department stated that adjustments in power tariff was a normal exercise, done based on the coal and stock availability, logistic charges and political intervention. Once the markets stabilize the costs are reduced also.