Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has approved revision of electricity supply tariff for all the electricity supply companies in Karnataka.
The average tariff increase approved by the KERC amounts to 32 paise per unit ranging from 10 paise to 50 paise per unit for different categories of consumers other than Irrigation Pump Sets and Bhagya Jyothi / Kuteer Jyothi households.
ESCOMs uniformly had asked for a raise of 66 paise per unit for all categories of consumers other than IP set users and Bhagya Jyothi and Kuteer Jyothi beneficiaries.
Domestic Tariff:
The tariff increase for domestic consumers is 20 paise per unit for monthly consumption of less than 30 units and 30 paise per unit for consumption exceeding 30 units. The revised tariff for domestic consumers in urban areas will be Rs 2.70 per unit up to 30 units, Rs 4 per unit for consumption between 31 and 100 units, Rs 5.25 per unit for consumption between 101 and 200 units and Rs 6.25 per unit for consumption beyond 200 units per month.
For domestic consumers in rural areas, the revised rates will be Rs 2.60 per unit up to 30 units, Rs 3.70 per unit between 31 and 100 units, Rs 4.95 per unit between 101 and 200 units and Rs 5.75 per unit for consumption beyond 200 units per month. For residential apartments under HT category, the tariff has been increased from Rs 4.90 to Rs 5.30 per unit.
Government Subsidy:
The amount of subsidy to be paid by the government towards free supply of electricity to 21.39 lakhs IP sets below 10 HP, and 22.90 lakh Bhagyajyothi / Kuritjyothi households is increased to Rs 6,308 crore for 2014-15 from Rs 5,381 crore paid for 2013-14. The bulk of this increase is on account of the increase in the average cost of power purchase which has gone up from the estimated Rs 3.20 per unit in 2013-14 to Rs 3.59 per unit in 2014-15.
Water Supply and Public Lighting:
The KERC has increased the tariff for LT water supply installations by a nominal 10 paise per unit from the existing Rs 3.20 per unit to Rs 3.30 per unit. The rate for HT water supply installations is increased by 20 paise per unit from Rs 3.80 per unit to Rs 4 per unit. The tariff for streetlights has been increased from Rs 4.45 per unit to Rs 4.85 per unit in both urban and rural areas.