Electricity consumers of Uttar Pradesh can get the biggest and historic relief from electricity bills in the month of September. While consumers were charged 10 percent more electricity bills in the month of June, they had to pay 4.43 percent less bills in July and 2.92 percent less in August. Now according to the latest update, there is full expectation of a reduction of more than 7.50 percent in the September bill.
In view of the huge reduction in fuel surcharge for the month of June under Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment (FPPCA), its direct benefit is going to be available on the electricity bill of August in September. About 3.73 crore consumers of all categories will benefit from this. Preparations are being made to issue official orders in this regard soon by the Power Corporation management.
Know why and how you got this relief in electricity bill In June, the Electricity Regulatory Commission had taken a tough stance on charging a hefty 10 percent fuel surcharge. In view of this strictness of the Commission, for the first time in 15 months (from April last year till now) in July, there was a huge reduction in the electricity bills of the consumers in lieu of the maximum surcharge of 4.43 percent.
It is noteworthy that the Power Corporation had decided to charge 10-10 percent additional charge from the consumers in the bills of June and July to recover Rs 1610 crore by adding its old dues to the surcharge. After collecting 10 percent in June, the corporation would have collected the same charge in July also, but before that the Regulatory Commission expressed strong displeasure over including the old payment in the surcharge and termed it completely wrong.
The entire mathematics changed due to the strict stance of the Regulatory Commission The Electricity Regulatory Commission had made it clear in its strict order that the fuel surcharge will be decided only on the basis of actual power purchase cost and transmission charges. It cannot include any other month's dues, past payments or adjustments of any kind. Due to this strict rule of the Commission, consumers have to pay 2.92 percent less electricity bills in August also.
Chairman of Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Consumer Council, Awadhesh Verma said that now there is complete transparency in the calculations of FPPCA. Due to this, electricity consumers are getting their rightful benefits on time as per the law. According to Awadhesh Verma, this reduction in lieu of fuel surcharge in the month of September will prove to be the biggest relief for the electricity consumers of the state so far.