‘Power bills rise 6-8% with PPAC revision’; AAP, BJP clash over Delhi electricity bill hike
NEW DELHI: The electricity bills of domestic consumers in Delhi have gone up by 6-8 per cent due to the revision of the power purchase adjustment charge (PPAC) by discoms, even as those getting subsidy will not be affected, officials said on Wednesday.
The BJP hit out at the AAP government over the hike, alleging that it had colluded with the discoms, while Delhi’s power minister Atishi accused the opposition party of misleading the people by spreading “rumours” that electricity prices have been increased due to the PPAC. The discoms in the city have revised the PPAC in the range of 6.75 per cent to 8.75 per cent. The power purchase cost is dependent upon the prices of coal and other fuels used by generation companies and these prices recently witnessed a significant increase, officials said.
The officials said the PPAC revision was implemented from February this year.
On Wednesday, the BJP held a press conference on the issue and attacked the ruling AAP in Delhi, saying it would affect power consumers in the city. There was no response from the discoms -- BSES’s BYPL and BRPL, TPDDL and NDMC, on the PPAC revision.
The PPAC is levied as a percentage of the base tariff that includes the fixed cost and energy charges (units consumed) by the consumers.
Atishi claimed that the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) order states that the current PPAC will remain the same and no more changes will be made.
She, however, justified PPAC revision, saying the discoms have “a provision in the Electricity Act 2003 that allows them to increase PPAC by up to 10 per cent from that prescribed by the DERC in case of the high cost of power purchase”. Power is purchased from Electricity Exchange during summers to meet increased demand to provide 24x7 power, and therefore PPAC might be greater in summers, especially due to heat waves.
The officials said as per the Ministry of Power (MOP), directions, every state regulatory commission has to place a mechanism for automatic passthrough of fuel and power procurement costs in tariff to ensure the viability of the power sector.
In the case of Delhi, there is no automatic pass through but the discoms levy PPAC only after verification and approval of DERC. It’s revised on a quarterly basis, officials said.
Delhi BJP leaders alleged that the AAP government “backed” discoms were making consumers pay hefty amounts in the name of PPAC.
“The Delhi government and discoms have colluded to increase PPAC by 8.75 per cent resulting in higher electricity bills for the consumers,” alleged Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva.
Delhi offers free electricity up to 200 units monthly and a 50% subsidy for 201-400 units. No subsidy applies beyond 400 units. Criticising the government, Sachdeva suggested that planning for summer power supply was neglected. Atishi countered BJP, pointing out high electricity costs and frequent power cuts in BJP-ruled states like UP and Haryana. She emphasised Delhi’s uninterrupted electricity supply under Kejriwal’s leadership, highlighting the provision of free electricity
to residents.
