After tariff, discom service fee to hit power consumers
Navneet Sharma
CHANDIGARH:

ON THE CARDS HERC to hike application, meter repair, relocation charges

After three hikes in energy charges in the past one year, power consumers have to brace themselves for another increase now.
A hike in the charges levied on consumers for general services such as application processing fee, energy meter installation, meter service and relocation and duplicate bills provided by power distribution companies, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) is on the cards.

The hike in service rates (fixed and per call) has been proposed by the state power regulator, Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC), in view of “increased employee cost, increased cost of material/equipment and other factors affecting the cost of service“. The commission has invited views and objections from consumers and organisations on the proposed revision of general and miscellaneous charges.

A public hearing will be held in the next 3-4 weeks to give an opportunity to the consumers to express their views before finalising the revised charges,“ an HERC official said. The application-processing fee is proposed to be doubled from Rs 10 to Rs 20 for connected load upto 2 KW. As for connected load above 2 KW, the charges would go up from Rs 25 per KW or part thereof subject to maximum of Rs 10,000 to Rs 40 per KW or part thereof subject to maximum of Rs 16,000.

As per the proposal, the meter installation charges would be doubled to Rs 100 for singlephase meters and increased from 2% of the cost of the meter/metering equipment subject to maximum of Rs 300 to 3% of the cost subject to maximum of Rs 500. Meter relocation charges would also be doubled for single and three phase meters and increased by 60% for low tension (LT) and high tension (HT) meters, which are mainly used by commercial establishments, industry and big institutions.

Similarly, fees for reconnection and replacement of damaged seals, meter glass, cupboard etc would go up substantially. For instance, the fee for replacement of the glass of meter cupboard appears set jump from the existing Rs 10 to Rs 60. Hefty charges have been proposed for replacement of broken glass of meter if the consumer has “broken or tampered with meter“.

Incidentally, a large number of domestic meters have been relocated by the discoms on poles outside the consumer's premises to curb pilferage. And, the consumers and utilities have been complaining about the impracticability of the move as the meters get exposed to the “vagaries of weather and get damaged during rains“.

The commission has proposed doubling the fee for supplying duplicate bills to the consumers.
The fixed monthly charges for meter servicing would also go up by at least 50% for consumers of difference categories.

However, no change is expected in charges for extension in load of non-domestic and industrial category consumers.

While the consumers, who are already grumbling about the rising energy charges, would detest the idea of any further increases in all probability, the power utilities are not complaining.

“The revision of general and miscellaneous charges for services was long overdue. The costs have gone up substantially in the past 6-7 years,“ a UHBVN official said.