Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission rejects uniform power tariff proposal

Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh State

Electricity

Regulatory Commission (APSERC) has rejected ‘

smart power tariff

’— a uniform electricity tariff method proposed by the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern

Power

Distribution Company Limited (

APEPDCL

). APSERC chairman Justice CV Nagarjuna Reddy announced the rejection of this proposal on the occasion of releasing the new electricity tariff for the 2021–22 fiscal.

Designed by APEPDCL, the ‘smart power tariff’ scheme was meant to bring all 8,511 apartments and its electricity services (1,73,668 in number) under a single umbrella by fixing the uniform and single electricity charge at Rs 5.95 per unit instead of categorising tariff in terms of units consumed.

When TOI enquired why the commission rejected the ‘smart’ proposal, APEPDCL sources said that the proposed uniform rate of Rs 5.95 per unit is higher than the average electricity charge the discom currently collects from apartment dwellers, which is Rs 4.4 per unit.

For example, as per the existing tariff, a person pays Rs 8,170 for 1,000 units of electricity. Under the proposed smart power tariff scheme, the same person would pay Rs 5,950, thus saving Rs 2,220. However, if a person consumes 100 units of electricity, they currently pay Rs 260 as tariff; if the smart power tariff system were to be implemented, this consumer would have had to pay Rs 595.

“So, there is a difference of Rs 1.55 per unit. This may give a wrong signal to people that the government has increased power tariff for apartment residents, nearly 80–90 per cent of which are middle and upper-middle class,” a senior discom official said.

A similar tariff (to the smart power tariff) is currently being provided on a pilot basis to some gated communities, said another discom official, while adding that the 35-storey Oxygen Towers at Seethammadhara is one of the consumers.

Kasireddy Nanaji, treasurer of Venkateswara Towers, said, “The discom’s proposal is good, but it should have had multiple options.”


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