DERC to review input from consumers during public hearing

The DERC will examine the submissions by stakeholders during its public hearing and consider revising the power tariff for 2022 -- 23 that is likely to be issued in June, chairman of the national capital's power regulator Justice retd Shabihul Hasnain said on Friday.

Various issues, including the burden on power consumers due to current rates of fixed charges and pension trust surcharge, were raised during a two-day public hearing beginning Thursday by stakeholders such as residents associations.

Hasnain told PTI that they would review the feedback from the stakeholders and analyse it closely so that the same could be considered in our tariff order that may be issued in June.

Consumer representatives offered insightful submissions that will be examined by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission DERC and considered for different aspects of tariff including the fixed charges.

The residents associations raised issues of fixed charges and pension trust fund burden bore by the consumers on Thursday.

The DERC conducted a public hearing on petitions filed by the power generation and distribution companies in the run-up to the tariff revision for 2022 -- 23.

The public hearing, which was held virtually in view of COVID 19, was presided by the DERC chairman and was attended by the member of the Commission AK Ambasht.

The residents associations suggested usage based on fixed charges and relieved the consumers from the burden of pension trust surcharge borne by them.

Delhi discoms filed with DERC have sought cost reflective rates and time-bound recovery of regulatory assets.

The petitions uploaded on the DERC website showed that the revenue requirement was Rs 9,187 crore for BRPL, Rs 4,409 crore for BYPL and Rs 7,001 for TPDDL in 2020 -- 21.

The revenue gap for the three discoms has been calculated to be around Rs 2,968 crore.

The electricity rate in Delhi has not increased in the last six to seven years, with the Arvind Kejriwal government providing full subsidy on consumption of 200 units and up to 800 units on consumption of 201 -- 400 units.

The government has also announced that consumers can opt out of the subsidy scheme if they wish to do so from October 1.