Raipur
Around 65 lakh electricity consumers in Chhattisgarh will face higher power bills from August, as the Chhattisgarh Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) announced a new tariff on Friday.
Domestic consumers will pay an additional 10–20 paise per unit. Commercial and agricultural consumers will also see increased charges. Officials stated the hike is to cover the distribution company’s losses.
The CERC officials released the new tariff rates this afternoon. Earlier, reports had indicated a potential increase of 10–15 paise per unit.
The process for increasing electricity unit rates began on 20 June. The CERC chairman had invited consumers for a public hearing. Upon learning about the hearing, Congress officials protested at the commission’s office.
The commission’s officials decided to increase electricity rates after hearing from domestic, commercial, and agricultural consumers, as well as officials from the power company.
The Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) had proposed a 20 paise per unit increase, citing losses of ₹4,550 crore. The company attributed revenue losses to line loss and electricity theft.
The increase in electricity rates will directly impact over 65 lakh consumers in Chhattisgarh, who are categorised into BPL, domestic, commercial, and agricultural users. The new tariff will have a lesser impact on BPL, domestic, and agricultural consumers, while commercial consumers will be more affected.
The CERC last increased electricity tariffs in June 2024. No hike was implemented in 2023 due to it being an election year.
