Electricity tariffs in Delhi to remain unchanged for another year

Electricity rates for consumers across all categories in Delhi will remain unchanged for another year. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) in its tariff notification for the financial year 2020-21 kept the tariff for all consumption slabs same as last year.

This is the first time during the regime of Aam Aadmi Party that the power rates have not been reduced further or a new discount has been introduced. There were three consecutive reductions in energy charges by 50 per cent every year during 2015-2018 and 100 per cent subsidy to the 0-200 units consumption bracket in 2019. As a result of this, close to 50 per cent of Delhi’s population availed electricity subsidy during the last fiscal.
 

For the domestic category, the energy charges or the per unit electricity charge is in the range of Rs 3-Rs 8 per unit for consumption slabs of 0-200 units to up till 1200 units. An electricity bill comes with two components, - a fixed charge which remains the same every month and energy charge which is calculated depending on consumption.

The tariff rate for agriculture consumers has been kept at Rs 1.5 per unit. For industrial units, the rate would be Rs 7.75 per unit.

The fixed charges for every category would also be the same as last year. During the last financial year, DERC approved a new model of subsidy over and above the existing scheme. Under it, the fixed charge in the bills of consumers was reduced by more than half. Fixed charges up to 2 kilowatts (kW) was decreased to Rs 20 from Rs 125. For the 2 kW-5 kW bracket it was reduced to Rs 50 from Rs 140. The fixed charges for 5 kW-15 kW was reduced to Rs 100 from Rs 175.
 

The DERC also gave a 100 per cent subsidy to the 0-200 units consumption bracket in the last financial year. For this fiscal, a separate notification would be issued.
 

DERC, in its statement, said it had decided to continue with the subsidized tariff rates for e-rickshaw/e-vehicle category. This has been done in order to promote pollution free transportation and clean environment, the Commission noted. The rates for e-rickshaw and e-vehicle is Rs 4.5 per unit and Rs 4 per unit at LT and HT connections, respectively.

Delhi has three power distribution companies, Tata Power Delhi Distribution company ltd. (TPDDL), Reliance Power's BSES Yamuna Power ltd and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd. Some areas in Delhi are also covered by the state-run New Delhi Municipal Council.