HERC hikes service charges

CHANDIGARH:
HT Correspondent
The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has hiked the charges for general and miscellaneous services such as application processing fee, energy meter installation, duplicate bills and meter service/relocation given by the power distribution companies to their consumers.
The three-member commission headed by Bhaskar Chatterjee decided to increase the charges in view of the “increased employee cost, increase cost of material and equipment and other factors affecting the cost of service“, according to sources.

The revision, ranging from 50% to 150% for most services for different consumer categories, has been carried out after many years.

The state power regulator finalised the increase in charges (fixed and per call) for general and miscellaneous services provided by Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) after inviting views and objections from consumers on the draft proposal.

The Faridabad Industries Association (FIA) pressed for linking the increase in charges to simultaneous improvement in the delivery of services.

“The duty of the commission is to watch the interest of the consumers as much as it is responsible to look after the financial viability of the power utilities. No increase should be approved unless it is linked to improvement in the delivery of services,“ GC Narang, chairman, energy panel, FIA, wrote to the regulatory commission.

It was also requested to increase the interest rate on advance consumption deposit made by the consumers to 10% from the existing 6% in view of the increase in term deposit rates by the nationalised banks.