BHUBANESWAR: Bowing down to pressure from consumer groups and other stakeholders, the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) has kept the retail electricity supply tariff (RST) unchanged for the coming financial year starting April 1, 2022.The existing tariff for low transmission category consumers is Rs 3 per unit for the first 50 units, Rs 4.80 per unit for consumption between 50 and 200 units, Rs 5.80 from 200 to 400 units and Rs 6.20 above 400 units.
The RST for 2022-23 has remained unchanged despite upward revision of bulk supply price (BSP) from 278.06 paise per unit to 297.69 paise per unit and energy charges from the State-owned Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC).
The power purchase cost at Gridco-end has gone up by 19.63 paise per unit. Accordingly, the average BSP has been revised from 296.26 paise per unit to 312.34 paise per unit. The revision of BSP by 16.07 paise per unit will generate additional revenue of Rs 474.15 crores. The commission has allowed a negative gap of Rs 21.16 crore in the aggregated revenue requirement of Gridco.
However, the overall tariff of the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) has been revised downward from 91.42 paise per unit to 90.43 paise per unit including the State’s share from Machhkund hydro electricity project.
The commission has also revised the energy charge of Ib Thermal Power Stations I & II from 152.81 paise per unit to Rs 161.9 paise per unit. The provisional revised tariff for OPGC Unit -III &IV has been revised to Rs 3.30 per unit from Rs 3.09 per unit. It allowed Rs 52-crore surplus in annual revenue requirement (ARR) of the four Tata Power managed distribution companies for 2022-23.The cost of supply of discoms has undergone revision from 548.40 paise per unit to 587.77 paise per unit.
Projecting their annual revenue requirement for 2022-23 at Rs 13,511.67 crore, the four discoms - TPCODL, TPNODL, TPSODL and TPWODL - have estimated the revenue earning at Rs 12,319.3 crore at the existing tariff rate leaving a revenue gap of Rs 1,192.37 crore.
The commission has given several concessions to the different categories of consumers. The rural domestic consumers who draw power through the correct metre and pay the bill in time will get a rebate of 10 paise per unit in addition to existing rebate for prompt payment. Domestic and single-phase general purpose category of consumers will get three per cent rebate over and above normal rebate if they pay their bill through digital mode. This rebate shall be applicable on the current month bill, if paid in full.
Charging of electric vehicles through a public charging system will be covered under general purpose (GP) category and single part tariff of Rs 5.50 per unit will be applicable. The charging unit established by group housing society through a separate connection will also be treated as a public charging system/station.