Tata, Reliance and Mahavitaran hike power tariff

The Mumbai electricity regulatory authority has allowed three utilities Tata Power, Reliance Infrastructure and Mahavitaran to increase their tariff with effect from this month.
Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has approved an increase in tariff of 2.44 per cent for Mahavitaran, while 5.2 per cent and 3.92 per cent for RInfra and Tata Power (TPC), respectively.
The new rates will now be applicable from June 1.
"Mumbai is an island city faced with a unique situation where it has multiple distribution licensees, RInfra, Tata, and BEST in the same supply area.
All three have different cost of supply, consumer mix and consumption mix wheeling charges. Hence, different tariffs for the same category of consumers depending on the licenses areas," MERC said in its order issued late last night.

As per the new tariff structure, Below Poverty Line consumers of Rinfra, TPC and Mahavitaran will have to pay per unit Rs 2.72, Rs 1.41 and 87 paise, respectively.

The fixed costs for all the three utilities for this category has been increased to bring it at par to Rs 10.
It has also increased the fixed cost for all the three utilities for consumers using up to 100 units to Rs 50 from the current Rs 40.
For RInfra, the new tariffs are Rs 4.79 (Rs 4.61) for consumers using up to 100 units, Rs 6.54 (Rs 6.31) for up to 300 units, Rs 8.26 (Rs 7.43) for up to 500 units and Rs 10.08 (Rs 9.25) for residents consuming more than 500 units.

MERC has allowed a reduction in tariff of TPC consumers using electricity up to 300 units.
For TPC, the revised tariffs are Rs 2.05 (Rs 2.62) for consumers using up to 100 units, Rs 4.21 (Rs 4.56) for up to 300 units, Rs 8.42 (Rs 8.19) for up to 500 units and Rs 10.63 (Rs 10.27) for residents consuming more than 500 units.
For Mahavitaran, the new tariffs are Rs 3.76 (Rs 3.86) for consumers using up to 100 units, Rs 7.21 (Rs 7.20) for up to 300 units, Rs 9.95 (Rs 9.50) for up to 500 units and Rs 11.31 (Rs 10.33) for residents consuming more than 500 units.

The Commission has, however, reduced the tariff for railway by 10 per cent from Rs 9.37 to Rs 8.46.
"Commission hopes this reduction may encourage expansion and electrification of rail routes in the state and strengthen the transportation infrastructure," MERC said in the order for Mahavitaran. It has also created a category for mono and metro rails.
The Commission has also directed Mahavitaran to complete the metering plan for conversion of unmetered agriculture connections within a period of three years.