More power to efficient usage of electricity

In a bid to stagger power usage and better grid management, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has announced a concession of ₹2 per unit to HT consumers if they consume power between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Electricity Supply Companies (Escoms) usually see peak power consumption between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

However, the time of day (ToD) tariff (penal charges of Re. 1 per unit) will continue for energy consumed during the morning and evening peak hours.

Last year, the KERC had agreed to the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company’s (Bescom) request to implement schemes to retain high-paying HT consumers who were leaving the Bescom grid. These included introducing a scheme under which the tariff increase for consumption in the second slab (beyond one lakh units) was 50% lesser than the increase in the first slab (20 paise in second slab as against 40 paise in first slab).

Bescom Managing Director P. Rajendra Cholan said the measure had helped, as only 110 HT consumers had opted for open access, post the new tariffs compared with 181 the previous year.

Power to farmers

With regard to power for agriculture, KERC Chairman M.K. Shankarlinge Gowda said with the State’s solar power generation being the highest in the country — 4,500 MW at present, Escoms will have to provide power for six hours overall to farmers, three hours each during day and night, until October.

“After October, we will review this and we expect to be able to give a direction that they should be given six hours power only during day time,” Mr. Gowda said. This means from November, farmers could get power supply between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

IP sets

On the issue of irrigation pump (IP) sets, Mr. Gowda said a survey conducted had showed that under Bescom alone, around 1.5 lakh IP sets were not there, and another 1.5 lakh IP sets were unauthorised. “The question of whether to give them power or not will be taken after the government’s decision,” he said.