VISAKHAPATNAM: There will be no hike in tariff of power supplied to domestic consumers, while the state government will pay ₹10,135.22 crores for supplying free power to farmers and subsidised power to SCs, STs, MBCs and aqua farmers, APERC (Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission) chairman C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy has announced.
Releasing the retail supply tariff order for the financial year 2023–24 in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, the commission chairman said of the total ₹14,028.76 crore cost, the state government will bear the subsidy burden of ₹10,135.22 crores in respect of consumers eligible for free supply of power under Section 65 of Electricity Act, 2003.
This subsidy covers nine hours of free power supply to eligible farmers. It includes concessions to consumers like SCs, STs, MBCs, and aqua farmers.
Nagarjuna Reddy said: “To maintain uniform tariffs for domestic consumers, Discoms have estimated ₹52,590.70 crores as their aggregate revenue requirement (ARR) for the financial year 2023–24. But APERC has reduced it to ₹49,267.60 crore. The commission, for the first time, assessed the demand and availability of generation time-of-day wise to realistically arrive at shortages and surplus scenarios of power during the financial year 2023–24. The commission is strictly implementing Regulation 1 of 2022 in regulating short-term power purchases being made by Discoms.”
The commission chairman said after examining the proposal of Discoms, APERC has approved demand charges of ₹475 per KVA per month to energy-intensive industries on par with the HT industry.
APERC has also given some tariff relief to power looms and flour mills up to 10 HP. The option to exercise off-season has been changed to two times from once a year.
Nagarjuna Reddy said if there is any issue with solar power, the eligible farmers provided with solar pump sets will be extended free power as per the government policy.
He maintained that Discoms will strictly comply with the net metering guidelines approved by APERC on solar rooftop policy in respect of the installation of solar rooftop power plants.
To promote energy conservation and energy efficiency measures, the commission has approved the sale of energy-efficient appliances, such as LED tube lights, BLDC ceiling fans, and super-efficient ACs to domestic consumers through APSEEDCO.
On ensuring nine hours of power supply to agricultural consumers, Discoms have been directed to place reports and minutes of the district committees constituted under section 166 (5) of the Electricity Act, 2003 on their websites and submit the same to the commission, the APERC chairman added.
