Power consumers in Andhra Pradesh are in for another shock as they will have to pay fuel surcharge adjustment charges for the years 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Consumers will have to pay distribution companies the fuel surcharge amount in their monthly bills from October 2012.
According to a recent order of the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission, consumers will have to shell out Rs 6,025 crore additionally from October 2012 to September 2014 towards fuel surcharge adjustment charges for the eight quarters. This is the additional amount Discoms had to shell out to buy coal for power plants and to purchase high- cost power.
The regulator permitted these companies to collect Rs 2,068 crore for 2010-11 and Rs 3,957 crore for 2011-12.
For the years 2010-11 and 2011-12, the discoms had proposed Rs 3,062 crore and Rs 4,761 crore. This worked out to Rs 7,823 crore. But the commission approved Rs 6,025 crore.
The consumers will have to clear this backlog through their monthly bills from October 2012 up to September 2013 for 2010-11and from October 2013 up to September 2014 for 2011-12.
The discoms sought FSA charges for the additional expenditure towards price hike of coal and additional purchase power.
The regulatory commission ordered that the discoms should not purchase power beyond Rs 5.5 a unit.