DERC to phase out additional surcharge in four years

New Delhi: The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has amended its Open Access regulations to gradually eliminate additional surcharge levied on eligible consumers over four years, a move aimed at making direct power procurement more attractive for large electricity users, officials said on Friday

New Delhi: The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has amended its Open Access regulations to gradually eliminate additional surcharge levied on eligible consumers over four years, a move aimed at making direct power procurement more attractive for large electricity users, officials said on Friday.

Under the revised regulations, the additional surcharge on consumers availing General Network Access (GNA) or Open Access will be reduced each year and completely phased out within four years. (HT Archive)

The amendments were notified through the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (Terms and Conditions for Open Access) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2026. Delhi power minister Ashish Sood presented the notification in Delhi Assembly on Friday, the first day of the Monsoon Session.

Under the revised regulations, the additional surcharge on consumers availing General Network Access (GNA) or Open Access will be reduced each year and completely phased out within four years from the date the facility is granted, provided if the consumers continue to avail of it.

Open Access allows large consumers such as industries, malls or housing societies, to buy power directly from generators instead of only from their local distribution company such as BSES or Tata Power-DDL.

The notification also states that consumers will not be entitled to any refund, adjustment or recovery of additional surcharge already levied or collected under the existing regulations.

The surcharge will not apply to the extent of the contract demand maintained with the distribution licensee. It will only apply to Open Access consumers who are or have been consumers of the distribution licensee concerned.

The regulations align the definitions of General Network Access and Temporary GNA with those prescribed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). A corrigendum issued by DERC subsequently corrected the date on the original gazette notification from March 19, 2025, to March 19, 2026, without altering the substance of the amendments.