PSPCL says no to plea for further cut in night tariffs

PATIALA: A recent plea moved by various industrialists’ association seeking farther reduction in rebated night tariffs has failed to find favour with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) which has made it clear that industries will have to shell out the tariffs approved by the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC). Various associations had in June sought that the night tariff rates be further brought down and they should be charged at Rs 3.75 per unit.

Tariff Rebate during night hours, instead of implementation of instructions that were already in place. However, PSPCL director (commercial) noted that the under the variable tariff of Rs 5 a unit as per the industrial and business development policy launched by the state government to encourage industrial consumers to use the surplus power available with the state PSERC has capped the tariff at Rs 4.23 per unit for FY 2017-18 and Rs 4.28 per unit for the FY 2018-19 as the last tariff order.

He stated that the cumulative effect of rebate on night usage of energy beyond threshold limit can be limited to the lowest energy charge of Rs 4.23 per unit for FY 2017-18 and Rs.4.28 per unit for FY 2018-19. Therefore, in no case tariff below Rs 4.23 per unit can be charged from the industries.

Meanwhile, the state industry has been ruing that they have not been getting the promised Rs 5 a unit power due to which they had sought that the night tariffs should be lowered further. The industrialists in Punjab claim that while the variable cost had been fixed at Rs 5 per unit, but they were also been charged the fixed cost separately, due to which they end up paying an average of Rs 8 to Rs 13 per unit. They said fixed charges which were being charged at Rs 75 to Rs 280 per kilovolt-ampere load of the industry which increase the cost of power to Rs 8 to Rs 13 a unit.

However, the PSPCL maintains that the industry running during night hours were saving around Rs 0.8 per unit and further lowering of the tariffs would be in contravention to the rates fixed by the PSERC.