Tamil Nadu has after nearly a decade finally increased power charges, with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) on Friday announcing a 37% hike in cost of power from April 1. Tamil Nadu for many years had the lowest tariff for power in the country. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) earlier charged domestic consumers a minimum of 65 paise and a maximum of Rs 4.05 after subsidy from the government. After the hike, the minimum charge will be Rs 1.10 per unit after subsidy and the maximum will be Rs 5.75 (without subsidy). The increase has raised the average cost of power for households to Rs 3.42 per unit from the earlier Rs 2.35. Tamil Nadu now has the second-lowest tariff just above Gujarat, which charges domestic consumers an average of Rs 3.30 per unit. Karnataka charges Rs 3.50 per unit and Andhra Pradesh Rs 4.55 per unit. Maharashtra charges the most for power at an average of Rs 5.57 per unit. In Andhra Pradesh, the minimum tariff is 2.75 per unit and the maximum 6.25 per unit. Karnatakas power tariff is in a band between Rs 2.05 and Rs 4.75 per unit and in West Bengal, it is between Rs 3 and Rs 6.85. Gujarat, a power surplus state, charges a minimum of 2.30 per unit in rural areas and Rs 2.80 per unit in urban areas. The maximum is 4.35 per unit in rural areas and 4.75 per unit in urban areas. Maharashtra charges a minimum of Rs 2.47 and a maximum of Rs 7.50 per unit, while in Uttar Pradesh it is between Rs 3.45 and Rs 3.80 per unit. Orissa charges between Rs 1.40 and 4.80 per unit. The government gave the go-ahead for the hike last November after it concluded that it would not be able to raise adequate funds from the Centre to bail it out of the red.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 07:28:47 +0000
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