After three hikes in power tariff in the past one year, consumers will now have to brace themselves up for another hike, this time in the form of increase in service charges.
A hike in the charges for general services such as application processing fee, meter installation, meter service and relocation and duplicate bills provided by power distribution companies, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli
Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) is on the cards.
The increase in service rates has been proposed by the state power regulator — Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission — in view of increased cost of man power, material/equipment and other factors affecting cost of service. The commission has invited views and objections from consumers and their organisations.
A public hearing will be held in the next 3-4 weeks where consumers can express their views before finalising the revised charges, an HERC official said. The application-processing fee is proposed to be doubled from R10 to R20 for connected load up to two kilowatt. As for connected load above 2kw, the charges would go up from R25 per kw or part thereof subject to maximum of R10,000 to R40 per kw or part thereof subject to maximum of R16,000.
As per the proposal, meter installation charges would be R100 for single-phase and increase from 2% of the cost of the meter/metering equipment subject to maximum of R300 to 3% of the cost subject to maximum of R500. Meter relocation charges would also be doubled for single and three phase meters and increased by 60% for low tension (LT) and high tension (HT) meters which are mainly used by commercial establishments, industry and big institutions.
{{/usCountry}}As per the proposal, meter installation charges would be R100 for single-phase and increase from 2% of the cost of the meter/metering equipment subject to maximum of R300 to 3% of the cost subject to maximum of R500. Meter relocation charges would also be doubled for single and three phase meters and increased by 60% for low tension (LT) and high tension (HT) meters which are mainly used by commercial establishments, industry and big institutions.
{{/usCountry}}Similarly, fees for reconnection and replacement of damaged seals, meter glass, cupboard etc would go up substantially.
Hefty charges have been proposed for replacement of broken glass of meter. Incidentally, a large number of domestic meters have been relocated by the discoms on poles outside the premises to curb pilferage.
The commission has proposed doubling the fee for supplying duplicate bills to the consumers. The fixed monthly charges for meter servicing would also go up by at least 50% for consumers of different
categories. However, no change is expected in charges for extension in load of non-domestic and industrial category consumers.
A revision of general and miscellaneous charges for services was long overdue. The costs have gone up substantially in the past 6-7 years, a UHBVN official said.