Lockdown period electricity bill will be reduced for industrial customers

Aurangabad, Nov 20:

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has ordered a reduction in electricity bills for industrial customers during the lockdown period. The commission has asked to amend the bill for the two months of April and May on the basis of the power factor in March.

Therefore, the increase in KVAH units due to the power factor in these two months will be a relief to the industrial customers.

Many businesses, industries and markets were closed during the lockdown. Therefore, Hemant Kapadia, on behalf of CMIA, had applied to the MERC in June to reduce the electricity bill during this period.

As per the statement issued by the CMIA, The MERC issued an order on March 30, 2020 to implement the multi-year electricity tariff and implemented the new tariff from April 1. Accordingly, high voltage electricity customers will be charged electricity bill based on KVAH (kilo volt ampere hour) instead of KWH ( kilowatt hour).

According to this change, if high voltage customers keep their power factor as one, they will be billed for using KWH. But if the customer''s power factor goes up or down, they are charged an increased electricity bill. Many power consumers were hit hard due to uncontrolled power factor during the lockdown.

Therefore, during the lockdown, high voltage electricity customers should be billed on the basis of KWH and the penalty of low voltage consumers should be cancelled, the statement said.

Will reduce bills in lockdown period

MERC conducted hearing on last October 23 and passed it''s order on November 13. Accordingly, customers whose power consumption is 25 per cent less than that of March 2020 and whose power factor in March is above 0.9 will get a discount on the next bill.

The commission has ordered to rectify the electricity bill on the basis of the power factor in March. CMIA secretary, Satish Lonikar said, that this decision will bring down the electricity bill for industrial customers during the lockdown period.