In a situation of dealing with the hike in prices of fuel, cooking gas and groceries now the public has to bear the brunt of the increase in electricity tariff from July 1. The tariff is going to rise from Rs 19 to Rs 31 from July 1. Consumers who use 100 units and above will have to pay additional Rs 19 to Rs 31. This depends on the respective companies.
As the coal price has increased considerably in the past two years various Escoms (Bescom, Mescom, Hescom, Gescom and Sesc) had proposed to Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) to allow them to recover the additional expenses from the consumers by hiking the prices. They had requested to collect additional prices of Rs 38 to Rs 55 per unit.
Though KERC has approved the appeal of Escoms, it has not allowed them to hike the price by as much as they demanded. It reduced the prices by saying that the new prices will be an extra burden to people who have still not recovered from the ill effects of Covid.
On their part, the Escoms are saying that this price increase is just temporary to cover the production cost which has gone up in thermal power plants in addition to shortage and increase in the price of coal. Once these return to normal, the prices will be reduced.
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