THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Electricity Regulatory Commission has decided to restrict the reduced electricity tariff of Rs 1.50 per unit for consumption up to 40 units to the BPL consumers alone.The decision, it is learnt, is part of the wider tariff revision orders which are likely to be released on Thursday.
The Commission’s rationale for confining the low tariff to BPL families is that several lakhs of flats and apartments owned by wealthy NRKs that are lying shut across the state are gaining maximum benefit from this reduced tariff.
In its tariff proposals, the KSEB had not recommended any tariff revision for consumption up to 40 units.
It is understood that the tariff revision approved by the Commission will allow the KSEB to cover around Rs 650 cr of the revenue gap, which the Commission has fixed at approximately Rs 1,200 cr. In the Aggregate Revenue Requirement and Expected Revenue from Charges petition submitted earlier this year, the KSEB had projected a revenue gap of Rs 2,931.21 crThrough tariff revision, the power company hoped to recover Rs 1,423.63 cr.
The KSEB had recommended incentives such as ‘Sunday Tariff’ for consumers who shifted their power consumption to Sundays, which are usually ‘lean’ as far as electricity usage is concerned.