Latest news with #HaryanaElectricityRegulatoryCommission
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Delink CAM & power backup charges from electricity bill, orders Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission
Gurgaon: Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed decoupling of electricity bills and common area maintenance (CAM) and power backup charges through diesel gensets. It has also said that residents should receive an itemised bill specifying under different headers all charges recovered through prepaid meters. For lakhs of people living in condominiums, this will bring transparency to monthly charges that they cough up and help reduce friction between maintenance agencies and residents on arbitrary charges. Societies club CAM, backup and electricity charges through prepaid meters. Electricity supply is disconnected in case of non-payment or delay in payment of CAM charges. Commission chairman Nand Lal Sharma and Member Mukesh Garg, in their order dated July 4, instructed that all charges recovered through prepaid meters be itemised clearly, with components such as DG supply charges and CAM charges listed separately. "Such itemisation must strictly conform to the rules, thereby ensuring utmost transparency for consumers," stated the commission. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon The commission stressed that no electricity connection should be disconnected if residents pay their legitimate electricity bills based on consumption. Furthermore, any fixed charges previously imposed on domestic consumers, which are against regulations, should be promptly refunded. These refunds should be made either through transparent adjustments in subsequent electricity bills or direct payments to affected residents. A detailed statement of such rebilling, adjustments and refunds must be prepared and submitted to the petitioners within three months. The order was issued following a petition by residents of Pyramid Urban Homes-II in Sector 86 against the developer, Pyramid Infratech, maintenance agency B D Facility Management and the discom's SDO in Manesar. In 2013, HERC made it mandatory for group housing complexes to have a single-point electricity connection. This means that a housing complex with 20 or more residential units has one primary electricity connection, from which individual flats receive branch connections. The complex is billed based on the reading from the single-point connection's electricity meter, and the total bill is divided among residents according to their usage. Developers and RWAs have been providing connections to flats from this single-point connection and charging flat owners, leading to arbitrary charges. In the city, residents of group housing societies currently pay between Rs 7 and Rs 14 per unit for electricity, whereas direct domestic consumers pay between Rs 2 and Rs 7 per unit. Different rates apply to different consumption slabs, but group housing societies have flat charges, resulting in higher bills compared to direct customers. Ashwani Singla, the petitioner's counsel, said charges for issues like incorrect parking are also deducted from prepaid meters, and if the meter balance runs out, even at night, the power supply is disconnected. Aerika Singh, Aerika Singh, counsel for the developer and facility management company, contended that all billed charges, including those for DG backup and CAM, were due and payable by residents, with no allegations of higher tariffs being charged. Initially, residents approached Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF) in the city against arbitrary charges and violations of HERC tariffs. In Oct 2022, the forum ordered that no electricity connection should be snapped except for non-payment of the bill, and the SDO must ensure that disconnections do not occur due to non-payment of charges unrelated to electricity consumption. After the order was not complied with, residents moved HERC in 2024. The commission, after hearing both sides, noted that the main grievances were incorrect charges, the absence of telescopic tariffs, imposition of fixed electricity charges not applicable to domestic consumers and collection of unrelated charges through power bills. The commission also said, according to single-point supply regulations, bills for society residents must adhere strictly to the tariff approved by the commission. It directed the proper implementation of HERC tariff, ensuring billing is accurately calculated based on individual consumption to maximize consumer benefits.
Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Will Haryana power tariff hike jolt BJP? Opposition finds a line of attack to corner Saini govt
Three months after the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) announced a tariff hike for domestic consumers, the issue has become a major rallying point for the Opposition. As revised electricity bills began reaching households in the second and third weeks of June, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged a four-fold increase in electricity charges. On Tuesday, senior Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala led a protest outside the power utilities' headquarters, Shakti Bhawan, in Panchkula to protest against the hike, the first in seven years. While the Nayab Singh Saini government insists the tariff revision won't affect most domestic consumers, the Opposition has seized on the issue, citing the sheer number of electricity users. Haryana has 84 lakh electricity consumers, 43.57 lakh served by Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and 37.39 lakh by the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam. Explaining the Opposition's concerns, Hooda said, 'Common families who earlier paid Rs 900 to Rs 1,000 are now receiving bills of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000. Power utilities have added a fixed charge of Rs 75 per kilowatt (kW), meaning a 10-kW connection now incurs an additional Rs 750 per month. Previously, rates were slab-based, ranging from Rs 2.5 to Rs 6.3 per unit for 50 units or more. Now, for loads above 5kW, the rate is Rs 6.5 to Rs 7.5 per unit.' He also noted that slab-wise rates have increased by 20 paise to 40 paise per unit. State Energy Minister Anil Vij dismissed the claim of a four-fold hike as 'entirely baseless and false.' He emphasised that agricultural tariffs remain unchanged: 10 paise per unit (metered) and Rs 15 per brake horsepower (for motors) per month at a flat rate. He added that monthly bills for domestic consumers with up to 2-kW connections had decreased by 49% to 75% compared to the 2014-15 financial year, and that most Category II consumers (up to 5kW load) had also seen reductions. According to Vij, 94% of consumers fall under Category I (up to 2-kW load and monthly consumption up to 100 units) and Category II, and most of their bills have gone down. He also highlighted that the minimum monthly charges had been removed for all domestic categories. At the Panchkula protest on Tuesday, the INLD accused the BJP government of reneging on its pre-election promise of providing up to 300 units of electricity free of cost. The government, on its part, pointed out that this was the first tariff revision since 2018, despite rising power procurement and operational costs. 'We managed to keep tariffs stable for nearly a decade through improved efficiency and strict financial discipline. From 2014-15 to 2024-25, aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, which refer to the total losses in an electricity distribution system, have been reduced from 29% to 10%,' it said in a statement. Amid the growing political heat, former electricity minister and Congress leader Sampat Singh filed a review petition before the HERC, demanding a public hearing. 'The surprising aspect of this electricity tariff order is that power companies are purchasing 7,964.28 crore units of electricity from various power generation units at Rs 3.12 per unit, and selling it to consumers at Rs 7.29 per unit. Moreover, only 6,916 crore units out of the total purchased are being delivered to consumers. With over 22% loss in transmission, consumers are effectively paying for energy they never received,' he said.
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Hike in power tariff: Former finance minister seeks review of HERC tariff order, files petition
Seeking a review of the increased electricity tariff in Haryana, former finance minister, Sampat Singh on Monday said that he has filed a review petition challenging the March 28 tariff order issued by the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC). The Congress leader said the regulator's order gave a tariff shock to consumers across all categories when they received their electricity bills in June 2025. During a briefing at Haryana Congress office on Monday, Singh said that there were widespread public protests against the new tariff regime across the state. (HT File) During a briefing at Haryana Congress office on Monday, Singh said that there were widespread public protests against the new tariff regime across the state. Raising concerns over the pricing mechanism adopted by the power utilities, the former minister said that the power utilities were purchasing 7,964.28 crore units of power at a cost of ₹ 3.12 per unit. But the same is being sold to consumers at an average rate of ₹ 7.29 per unit,' he said. Singh also pointed out that out of the total power purchased, only 6,916 crore units were reaching consumers, implying that the transmission and distribution losses exceeded 22%. Referring to the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) undertaken by the Haryana government in September 2015, which covered ₹ 34,000 crore of liabilities of the power utilities, he said that post-UDAY, the power distribution companies reported a profit of ₹ 800 crore for the first time in March 2021. 'However, instead of reducing the tariffs, the burden on consumers has been increased,' he said. The Congress leader said domestic consumers now faced fixed charges ranging between ₹ 50 to ₹ 75 per kW. Additionally, per unit charges had been raised by 25% to 50%. This is the first time that fixed charges have been introduced for domestic consumers. Besides the telescopic slab system of consumption of power had been given a go by. Commercial consumers had been adversely affected by the merger of their category with LT and HT supply, raising fixed charges from ₹ 165 to ₹ 290 per kVA, and per unit charges from ₹ 6.65 to ₹ 6.95. He also criticised the continuation of a 47 paise per unit fuel surcharge adjustment that was supposed to end in June 2024.
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Congress leader challenges Haryana power tariff hike, files review petition
Senior Congress leader and former Minister Sampat Singh has filed a review petition before the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) challenging the recent electricity tariff hike that has sparked protests in the State. The tariff revision, which came into effect in April, has been met with resistance from various consumer categories, including industrial associations and domestic users. Prof. Singh, in his petition, has sought a public hearing to address the pressing concerns of consumers. He described the HERC's order as a 'tariff shock', which was experienced by consumers across all categories when they received their electricity bills in June. The Congress leader also questioned the pricing mechanism adopted by power utilities. 'The utilities are purchasing 7,964.28 crore units of power at ₹3.12 per unit, while selling it to consumers at an average rate of ₹7.29 per unit,' he said at a press conference in Chandigarh. According to Prof. Singh, out of the total power purchased, only 6,916 crore units are reaching consumers, implying transmission and distribution losses exceeding 22%, which are effectively being passed on to consumers. He referred to the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) undertaken by the Haryana government in September 2015, which had recovered ₹34,000 crore in liabilities of power utilities. Prof. Singh pointed out that post-UDAY, the discoms reported a profit of ₹800 crore for the first time in March 2021, but instead of reducing tariffs, the burden on consumers has increased. The Congress leader highlighted the impact of the tariff hike on domestic consumers, who now face fixed charges ranging from ₹50 to ₹75 per kW. Additionally, per unit charges were raised by 25-50%, with fixed charges being introduced for domestic consumers for the first time. Commercial consumers have also been adversely affected by the merger of their category with low tension (LT) and high tension (HT) supply, raising fixed charges from ₹165 to ₹290 per kVA and per unit charges from ₹6.65 to ₹6.95. Prof. Singh also criticised the continuation of a 47 paise per unit Fuel Surcharge Adjustment that was supposed to end in June 2024. Furthermore, he highlighted the ₹8,000-crore defaulting dues of around 22 lakh consumers, warning that the remaining consumers are indirectly bearing this cost. Meanwhile, several industrial associations, including the Manesar Industries Welfare Association, NCR Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Bahadurgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have separately written to Power Minister Anil Vij and Chief Minister Nayab Saini, seeking a rollback of the tariff hike. They have termed the hike an 'additional financial burden' for micro, small, and medium enterprises. However, Mr. Vij has claimed that approximately 94% of electricity consumers in Haryana fall under Category-I (connected load up to 2 kW and monthly consumption up to 100 units) and Category-II (connected load up to 5 kW), and most of their bills have decreased. He emphasised that there has been no change in the electricity tariff for agricultural consumers. For HT consumers, the tariff revision from 2024-25 to 2025-26 shows a moderate increase of 7% to 10% depending on load and consumption. The Minister added that in the LT category, the increase among various consumers is relatively moderate, ranging from 4% to 7%. The Minister also compared Haryana's electricity tariffs with neighbouring States, claiming that Haryana charges significantly lower electricity tariffs for both LT and HT consumer categories, making it a cost-effective option. He pointed out that in neighbouring States, fixed charges go up to ₹450 per kW for LT and ₹475 per kW for HT categories, while energy charges go up to ₹8.95 per unit for LT and ₹7.75 per unit for HT categories.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Power bill shocker: Pkl locals ready to knock at HERC doors
Panchkula: Concerned residents of Panchkula have come together to draft and circulate a petition in response to a recent steep increase in power bills. The petition, drafted by the Federation of Residents Associations (FORA), an umbrella body of residents welfare associations, will be formally submitted to the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission on Thursday in a bid to challenge and reduce the hike. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Residents have shown solidarity and pushed for fair and affordable utility pricing. "We studied different bills and found that the cumulative effect of this revision, as notified by the respondent, is not only excessive and disproportionate but also amounts to an unjust enrichment by way of inflated charges imposed on consumers without adequate justification or supporting cost analysis. These arbitrary escalations, especially in the domestic and industrial sectors, violate the principle of reasonableness in tariff setting, fail to protect the consumer interest envisaged under the Electricity Act, 2003, and merit urgent judicial scrutiny," said RP Malhotra, president, FORA. "Thus, we are moving the petition Thursday. During elections, we were told that no power rates would be hiked, but the opposite happened, that too unannounced. Fixed charges are adding to a huge increase," he added. Solution Box's founder Mohit Gupta said, "At this stage, very few people understand the implications. It is around Rs 10,000 per year for 10 kW+ connections and Rs 4,000 per year for 5 kW connections. Add to this the enhanced slab rates. It will make a huge impact on small and medium domestic consumers." B R Mehta, a Sector 25 resident, said, "How will HERC justify before the court of law when challenged legally that consumers with much higher consumption are getting much lower bills than consumers with much lower consumption being asked to pay much higher amounts of bills?" Many residents said they have received bills with an increase of almost 100 to 400% compared to last year's bill. They are calling it illogical while the power department has said they have prepared bills as per commission's revised order. The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission had raised domestic and industrial categories from 20 to 30 paise per kWh (kilowatt hours)/kVAh from last year. MSID:: 121627153 413 |
