Power bills set to shoot up

CHANDIGARH: City residents should get ready to shell out more for using power, with the electricity department calculating high rate of fuel and power purchase cost adjustment (FPPCA) charges.


According to sources, the department has calculated FPPCA charges from January to March ranging from 40 paisa to up to Rs 5 per unit in slabs of different categories. The charge is levied on all category of consumers, except agriculture.

The enhanced charges have emerged as a double whammy for residents as they will be clubbed with the increased power tariff that came into force from April 1. The department has written to the Joint Electricity Commission (JERC) to get the charges approved.

UT superintending engineer M P Singh said they have written to the commission and the charges will be levied after securing approval.

The commission in the tariff order issued on March 29 imposed a cap on FPPCA charges to be levied by the department from April onwards. The commission limited FPPCA charge to 10% of the approved cost for a quarter.

Fearing criticism from residents, the department has also requested the commission for allowing to re-calculate FPPCA charges from January to March as per the latest tariff order. “We will act as per direction of the commission,” said M P Singh.

Arun Mahajan, a city-based industrialist, slammed the department for passing the charges, which occur due to its failure to take timely corrective steps, on to consumers

The electricity department caters to 2.28 lakh consumers, who are divided into nine different categories. According to official figures, 1.99 lakh consumers are domestic users, accounting for more than 87% of the overall figure. The remaining are divided into commercial, small power, medium supply, large supply, bulk supply, public lighting, agriculture power and temporary supply categories.

During 2016-17, the department recovered Rs 121.23 crore in the form of FPPCA charges against the approved limit of Rs 87.27 crore, while during the first six months of the financial year of 2017-18, the department collected Rs 109.96 crore.