Chandigarh is all set for swelteringly hot days ahead in summers and power tariff is slated to rise. Effective from April 1, Chandigarh residents will have to pay up to 8% extra on their electricity usage as Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has mandated.
The increase in power tariff is only for domestic consumption; the average tariff increase being 20 paise per unit. However, the industrial consumption has been slashed by 65 paise per unit.
Domestic Category
| UNITS CONSUMED | EXISTING CHARGES (PER UNIT) | REVISED CHARGES (PER UNIT) |
| 0-150 | Rs 2.55 | Rs. 2.75 |
| 151-400 | Rs 4.80 | Rs. 4.80 |
| 401 -above | Rs 5.00 | Rs. 5.20 |
Commercial/Non-residential Category
| UNITS CONSUMED | EXISTING CHARGES (PER UNIT) | REVISED CHARGES (PER UNIT) |
| 0-150 (Single phase & three phase) | Rs 5 | Rs. 5 |
| 151-400 (Single phase & three phase) | Rs 5.20 | Rs. 5.30 |
| 401 –above (Single phase & three phase) | Rs 5.45 | Rs. 5.60 |
Relief to Industry
| UNITS CONSUMED | EXISTING CHARGES (PER UNIT) | REVISED CHARGES (PER UNIT) |
| Large Industrial Supply | Rs 5.65 | Rs. 5 |
| Medium Industrial Supply | Rs 5.35 | Rs. 4.70 |
| Small Industrial Supply | Rs 5.30 | Rs. 4.80 |
It is interesting to note that Chandigarh electricity department had proposed a 22% hike in power tariff for 2017-18 across various categories and slabs but the proposal was rejected by Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC).
Electricity Bills in Chandigarh
- It is the UT electricity department that generates electricity bills.
- For domestic customers, bills are generated bimonthly while bills of commercial consumers are generated every month.
- Domestic consumers are divided into four groups of 50,000 each and pay bills in six cycles a year.
- According to official records, there are 2.16 lakh electricity consumers, of which, 1.75 lakh fall in the domestic category. The department has regular billing of around 94% of consumers.
Also read: Chandigarh | Waste Water This Summer & Pay Fine of Rs 2000
Source: Hindustan Times