Gurugram RWAs oppose discom tariff hike bid at HERC hearing over losses claim

Group said households shouldn’t fund inefficiencies, flagged dues recovery and procurement planning as commission reviews ARR filings of DHBVN, UHBVN.

United Gurugram RWAs (UGR), a collective of resident welfare associations in the district, on Monday opposed proposed electricity tariff changes during a public hearing of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC), alleging that projected losses by power utilities are being used to justify a fresh hike for FY 2026–27.

Utilities seek to bridge earlier deficit despite projected surplus; panel to decide after five hearings while urging lower line losses and efficiency gains. (HT Archive)

In a representation submitted at the hearing, UGR urged HERC not to allow recovery of a claimed revenue loss of ₹5216.23 crore through higher tariffs proposed in the Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR) filings of DHBVN and UHBVN. The group, which says it represents around 300 RWAs across Gurugram, argued that urban consumers should not bear additional costs arising from what it described as discom inefficiencies and financial mismanagement.

UGR flagged short-term borrowing and power purchase planning by utilities, saying better long-term procurement could reduce rates. It urged HERC to ensure transparent and fair cost assessment and a tariff policy that benefits consumers uniformly instead of placing repeated burden on paying households. The representation was signed by UGR conveners Praveen Yadav and Chaitali Mandhotra.

“Domestic consumers are generating 80%of revenue. And we are adding up every year as the number is increasing. But we are the ones who are bearing the brunt of mismanagement by discom. There is no mention of recovery from defaulters, which is running up to 8500 Crores. We also have to bear the burden of subsidies,” said Chaitali Mandhotra, co-convener of United Gurugram RWAs.

HERC chairman Nand Lal Sharma, along with members Mukesh Garg and Shiv Kumar and other officials, heard grievances from residents, industries and their representatives at the public hearing. Participants raised concerns over a proposed tariff increase to bridge a deficit of ₹4484.71 crore arising from a loss of ₹5216.23 crore in FY 2024-2025, followed by a projected surplus of ₹1605.17 crore in FY 2026-2027.

Both discoms have asked the HERC to allow recovery of a combined revenue deficit of ₹4,484.71 crore through a tariff revision, on which the commission will take a final call. Officials from DHBVN and UHBVN said their consolidated projected revenue stands at ₹52,761.87 crore, which is ₹1,605.16 crore above their requirement. However, they said that despite the projected surplus, an earlier loss has left them with a net revenue deficit of ₹4,484.71 crore that they seek to bridge through a tariff hike. The HERC will decide on the proposal after completing all five public hearings, two of which have been held so far.

Sharma said the commission would balance consumer interests with those of the discoms. “HERC ensures that the discoms don’t make unnecessary expenditure, remain competitive in the market and the burden is not passed on to the consumers,” he said, adding that utilities must reduce line loss due to transmission inefficiencies or theft.

He also said discoms must align with the country’s 2047 developmental roadmap and adopt long-term power procurement instead of relying on short-term agreements, noting that energy can now be sourced from across the interconnected national grid.

DHBVN and UHBVN officials met UGR representatives to discuss the issue and said the concerns were being examined but declined to elaborate on any specific action being taken.