Face2News/Chandigarh 

The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission chaired by Chairperson Sh. Viswajeet Khanna, IAS (Retd) and Member Paramjeet Singh, District and Sessions Judge (Retd.) have issued the Tariff Orders containing tariff/charges for FY 2025-26 vide Orders dated 28.03.2025. In the Orders, the Commission has determined the true-up of FY 2023-24, ARR for FY 2025-26 and Determination of Tariff/charges applicable for FY 2025-26 in respect of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL).

The Commission has decided to make the new tariff/charges applicable from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026. 

PSPCL had submitted in its ARR petition that it has a revenue deficit of Rs. 5090.89 Crore up to FY 2025-26 and requested an increase of tariff accordingly. However, the Commission has determined the revenue surplus of Rs. 311.50 Crore after the requisite detailed prudence check. The revenue from the existing tariff is Rs. 47985.81 Crore. The net ARR required to be recovered from the Tariff of FY 2025-26 after adjusting the surplus of Rs. 311.50 Crore is Rs. 47674.31 Crore. The new tariff has been redesigned to recover the same. 

SALIENT FEATUERES:

1. The new tariff will be applicable from 01.04.2025 to 31.03.2026. 

2. No increase in the fixed charges of any category of consumers. 

3. In the case of DS and NRS, existing 3 No. Slabs in the consumer category merged to make only 2 slabs without any extra financial load on consumers. This will help towards easy preparation and consumer-friendly bills. 

4. With the merging of slabs, while no consumer will be paying anything extra, DS consumers with more than 300 units will be paying lower charges by approximately Rs. 160/month for loads up to 2 kW, Rs. 90/month for loads above 2 kW & up to 7 kW and Rs. 32/month for loads above 7 kW & up to 20 kW. Similarly, for NRS consumers while no consumer will be paying anything higher, there has been a reduction of variable charges by 2 paisa/unit for consumption up to 500 units for consumers having loads up to 20 kW. Thus, for those NRS consumers consuming up to 500 units, the bill charges will be lower by approximately Rs. 110/month.

5. In the case of LS General Consumers, only 2 Slabs have been created i.e. one Above 100-1000kVA with reduced Fixed Charges (Rs.210/kW in place of Rs. 220/kW & the other of 1000kVA & above with Fixed Charges Rs. 280/kWh, which is the lower of the merged slabs). 

6. "Voltage Rebate" is being continued to be given to all consumers with connected loads above 33 kV. It is also applicable to DS (including Charitable Hospitals set under the PWD Act), NRS, MS consumers (including water works supply Schemes & Compost / Solid Waste Management Plants for Municipalities/ Urban Local Bodies) and AP/AP High-Technology/High-Density Farming consumers getting supply at 11 kV. The voltage rebate shall be in addition to the capped energy charges (after considering the cumulative effect of the TOD rebate and the tariff of electricity exclusively used during night hours) of Rs. 5.50/kWh 

 A new category for Single Point Supply to Residential Colonies/Multi Storey Residential Complexes and Co-operative Group Housing Society/Employer in Domestic category has been introduced with reduced Fixed & Variable Charges (Fixed Charges Rs. 130/kVAh in place of the existing Rs. 140/kVAh & Variable Charges Rs. 6.75/kVAh in place of existing Rs. 6.96/kVAh). 

7. In the mixed load industry, PIU loads having installed / connected kVA ratings up to 100 kVA were taken out of the PIU load category. The same benefit has been further extended to the next year i.e. FY 2025-26 also. 

8. A special night tariff with 50% Fixed Charges and an Energy Charge of Rs.5.50/kVAh for all (LS/MS/SP) industrial consumers using electricity exclusively during the night hours of 10:00 PM to 06:00 AM next day has also been continued. 

9. On the demand of the industry, the facility for use of electricity by the night category consumers, during the extended 4 hours of 06:00 AM to 10:00 AM at normal tariff has also been continued. 

10. Cross-subsidies have been kept within the ±20% limits in line with the provisions of the National Tariff Policy. 

11. To encourage PIU units to migrate to General Industry and to merge the tariff for Power Intensive Units and General Industry during FY 2025-26 itself, the Commission has already approved relaxation in the implementation of power quality regulation in Petition No. 49 of 2023 order dated 06.12.2023 and vide order in Petition No. 46 of 2024 to allow all the systems to be put in place for a smooth implementation of the power quality regulations. 

12. The Commission has continued with the existing TOD (Time of Day tariff) period of 16th June to 15th October with the existing TOD surcharge of Rs. 2.0/kWh over the normal tariff during 2025-26 also. There is no increase in the surcharge over last year. 

13. A new category for Single Point Supply to Residential Colonies/Multi Storey Residential Complexes and Co-operative Group Housing Society/Employer in Domestic category has been introduced with reduced Fixed & Variable Charges (Fixed Charges Rs. 130/kVAh in place of the existing Rs. 140/kVAh & Variable Charges Rs. 6.75/kVAh in place of existing Rs. 6.96/kVAh). 

14. The Commission has also worked out the green energy tariff for the consumers under the provisions of the Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2022. This is a tariff reduced to Rs. 0.39/kWh from the earlier tariff of Rs. 0.54/kWh applicable last year.