Assam Power Distribution Company Limited hikes tariff by 79 paisa per unit till January, 2023

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) has announced that it will be levying a Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment (FPPPA) charge of 79 paisa per unit on all categories of consumers on electricity bills for the months of November, December this year and January, 2023.

According to a notice issued by the APDCL, the levy has been made as per provisions of the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment) Regulations, 2010.

The notice said that the relevant bills will be the ones generated in December, 2022 and January and February, 2023. It also specified that "all adjustments regarding short/excess recovery due to seasonal variation of consumption within the stipulated period will be adjusted in subsequent periods or as may be directed by the AERC."

Further, the notice mentioned that "the adjustment will remain in force unless replaced by any other order to that effect".

When contacted by The Sentinel, an official of the APDCL said that the power tariff is revised every three months on the basis of the prices of fuel and power purchase. The official said that in the last six months, the APDCL had reduced the power tariff by 5 paisa per unit once and then subsequently increased it by 30 paisa per unit.

The official said that as per the formula for calculation of tariff adjustment, the latest hike should have been Rs 1.88 per unit. However, the APDCL has decided to limit the hike in power tariff to 79 paisa per unit.

When asked whether the hike can be reduced further, the official said that this decision can only be taken by the senior officials of the APDCL in consultation with the state government.

According to the official, there are three categories of domestic consumers under the APDCL based on units of power consumed – one category of consumers (up to 120 units) is charged Rs 5.30 (less 75 paisa subsidy under a government scheme) per unit, the next category (121-240 units) is charged Rs 6.60 per unit and the last category (over 241 units) is charged Rs 7.60 per unit. The hike of 79 paisa per unit will be added to these three rates, the official said.

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