Uttar Pradesh residents to get burden on electricity bill: Electricity price may rise by 23% in FY 2023

Uttar Pradesh residents are likely to see a rise in their monthly electricity bill for the upcoming fiscal year 2023–2024 as public sector energy provider Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has suggested raising electricity prices for domestic consumers by 18–23%.

The UPPCL and its five subsidiaries submitted the annual revenue requirement (ARR) statement to the power control board on Monday for the years 2023–2024. UPPCL requested an average increase in the power tariff of 15.85% for the upcoming fiscal in the ARR statement it submitted to the power regulator. The increase sought is 16% for industrial consumers, 10% to 16% for agricultural consumers, and 17% for consumers in the lifeline or below-poverty line category.

In addition to raising the power tariff on a slab-by-slab basis, UPPCL has also suggested raising the fixed charges for the electricity load from Rs 110 per KW to Rs 120 per KW. When the amount of power consumed exceeds 300 units, the maximum rate has also increased from Rs 6.50 to Rs 8 per unit, TOI reported.

For all consumer categories, there was no increase in the power tariff in the most recent tariff order, which was announced in July of last year. The UPERC (Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission) instructed UPPCL to 100% metre the power connections of active and retired power utility employees in July 2022.

To ensure that other power consumers are not burdened with the cost, the regulator calculated it as a presumed revenue of Rs 422.50 crore from this head. The regulator has ordered the UPPCL to speed up the setup of 40 lakh smart metres in order to combat power theft. The technical and financial effects of the smart metre rollout on the UPPCL's system have also been mandated. Both directives still need to be followed by the UPPCL.

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