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Power curbs to continue

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The thermal surcharge and supply restrictions on power consumption now in force in the State will continue for some more time.

The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) issued an order on Wednesday permitting the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to continue them. The KSERC said the power situation in the State was yet to improve. There had been no improvement in the flow of water into hydroelectric reservoirs in the State. Further, the shortfall in electricity received from Central generating stations too was continuing. This meant that the KSEB would have to buy expensive electricity from generating stations that are run on liquid fuels to bridge the gap between energy demand and availability of power from cheaper sources.

The restrictions on consumption now in force apply to industries, commercial establishments and high-end domestic consumers. The industries and commercial establishments will get only 80 per cent of their usual power consumption at the normal tariff. And each domestic consumer will get only 200 units of power a month at the normal tariff. For consumption above these ceilings, they will have to pay a higher rate that will depend on the actual rate at which the KSEB will purchase energy from expensive stations running on liquid fuel. This will be fixed by the KSERC each month after gathering relevant accounts from the KSEB.

The KSERC also directed the KSEB to submit before it the accounts relating to the thermal surcharge collected so far from the consumers. If the KSEB failed to do so before December 15, the thermal surcharge would be withdrawn with effect from January 1, 2009.

The KSERC gave the KSEB five other directives for preventing the imposition of more restrictions in power supply in the State.

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