Residents of Maharashtra will have to pay more for electricity as the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) is set to increase power tariff ahead of the festive season. As per the company’s new order, domestic customers will have to pay 35 paise more per unit for their September bills.
The order issued by the Chief Engineer (Power Purchase) of Mahavitaran said that the company is collecting fuel adjustment charges on the electricity consumed in September as per the guidelines of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission. This recovery will continue in the coming months. The order of the company will also affect the BPL category customers. In addition to this, agriculture additions will have to pay 10 and 15 paise per unit and industries will have to pay 20 paise more per unit.
For the unversed, Mahavitaran had to purchase 1340 million units of additional power through short-term contracts and power exchanges in March, April and May. The permission to increase the rate has come as a result of rising fuel prices, decreased revenue because of the Covid-19 outbreak, rising transmission system costs, etc.Four major companies provide electricity in the state – the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL), Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST), TATA Power and Adani Electricity.