Date:07/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/07/stories/2008100750250100.htm

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Higher rates for high-end consumers

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: High-end domestic power consumers in the State will have to pay higher rates on electricity from October 15.

The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) passed an order on Monday allowing the State power utility to charge higher tariff on each unit of power consumed by domestic consumers above a ceiling of 200 units a month.

The tariff applicable in this case will be the average cost of power purchased by the power utility (the erstwhile Kerala State Electricity Board) from thermal stations running on liquid fuel. Last month the average cost was Rs.8.63 a unit. This can vary from month to month.

20 per cent curbs

The KSERC order allows the power utility to impose 20 per cent power restriction on low tension electricity consumers under the non-domestic category.

This means that shops, commercial establishments, small industries, etc., running on low-tension supply will have to restrict their electricity consumption to 80 per cent of their usual consumption.

If they use power above this ceiling, they will have to pay for the excess consumption tariff at the level of the average cost of power bought from liquid-fuel power stations. The power restriction of 25 per cent now applicable for high-tension and extra-high tension consumers has been brought down to 20 per cent.