About 3.73 crore electricity consumers in Uttar Pradesh may get relief in their October bills. Due to the reduction in fuel surcharge for July, the bills of consumers of all categories are likely to reduce by more than 5 percent.
Lucknow: Electricity consumers of Uttar Pradesh are likely to get relief in bills in October also. Due to the reduction in fuel surcharge for July, there may be a reduction of more than 5 percent in the bill for electricity consumption in October in October. About 3.73 crore electricity consumers of the state are expected to benefit from this.
Relief may be available for the fourth consecutive month in October
Electricity consumers in Uttar Pradesh are likely to get relief in bills for the fourth consecutive month. While 10 percent additional fuel surcharge fee was charged from consumers in June, thereafter there was a continuous decline in electricity bills.
There was a 4.43 percent decline in electricity bills in July. After this, there was a relief of 2.92 percent in August and a record 7.93 percent in September. Now the electricity bill is expected to reduce by more than 5 percent in October also.
This relief is expected to be provided on the basis of reduction in fuel surcharge for the month of July under FPPCA i.e. Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment.
3.73 crore consumers can get benefit
The impact of reduction in fuel surcharge charges for July may be visible on the bills to be issued in October based on electricity consumption of September. Under the FPPCA system, about 3.73 crore electricity consumers of all categories are likely to get benefits.
The process of issuing orders in this regard soon is going on from the Power Corporation management. After the order is issued, the situation of relief applicable in the electricity bill of October will become more clear.
Case changed after additional recovery of 10% in June
Earlier in June, 10 percent fuel surcharge fee was collected from electricity consumers. The corporation had made an additional recovery of about Rs 1,610 crore by including old payments in the surcharge.
However, the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission had objected to the inclusion of old payments in the fuel surcharge. The Commission had clarified that the surcharge should be calculated only on the basis of actual power purchase cost and transmission charges. Payment or adjustment of any other month's dues cannot be included in this.
Impact of transparency in FPPCA calculations
Following this stance of the Commission, there was a change in the calculation of fuel surcharge to be applied in the electricity bill. From July, consumers started seeing its effect in the form of relief in electricity bills.
According to Awadhesh Verma, President of Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Consumer Council, due to increased transparency in the calculations of FPPCA, consumers are getting the benefits under the law on time. In October also, under the same arrangement, consumers are expected to get the benefit of a possible reduction of more than 5 percent in electricity bills.