Latest news with #TNERC
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Electricity consumers in Coimbatore wait for new service connection for nearly nine months
Several applications for new electricity connections are said to be kept pending for want of distribution transformers in Coimbatore district. Consumer body, the Coimbatore Consumer Cause, has written to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) to direct the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation to provide the service connections on time. Secretary of the consumer body K. Kathirmathiyon claimed that applications were pending for more than nine months in Coimbatore district for new service connections. It is learnt that almost 140 distribution transformers were needed in Coimbatore alone to replace the old ones. He said that as per the Tamil Nadu Electricity Distribution Standards of Performance Regulations, 2004 , service connections should be given in 90 days for works involving extension and improvement. If the connections were not provided within the stipulated time, the licensee should pay the consumer a maximum of ₹2,000 for the delay period. However, if an application form was pending for 10 days or 400 days, the compensation amount was only ₹2,000 and that was the reason for the licensee to neglect the delays, he alleged. According to Mr. Kathirmathiyon, there are nearly '1,600 distribution transformers kept idle even now in the stores of the Licensee for years and left to gather dust. These DTs could not be used since they were allotted to the Central Government's Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS),' he said. While there was a stock of transformers on one hand, consumers were waiting for new connections on the other because of non-availability of transformers, he said. 'Despite repeated orders, the licensee failed to provide connections within the time for want of equipment / materials – which are totally unacceptable,' he said.
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
CODISSIA opposes the proposed hike in power tariff from July 1
The Coimbatore District Small Industries Association has urged the Tamil Nadu government and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) to not implement the proposed increase in power tariff for industries from July 1. The Association president, M. Karthikeyan, said in a press release that the hike, if implemented, will impact the sustainability of the Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs). The industries are currently operating just 50% to 70% capacity due to high cost of raw material costs, increase in operational costs both in domestic and global markets, shortage of manpower, recent uncertainties such as the US import tariff, the geo political situation and war conflicts A further rise in power tariff could lead to additional financial stress, reduction in industrial output, job losses and even closure of industries. The government should reconsider the multi-year tariff revision and not implement any hike in electricity charges for the MSMEs, he said.
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Domestic users won't have to pay higher power tariff: Tamil Nadu minister SS Sivasankar
CHENNAI: Electricity Minister SS Sivasankar on Tuesday said Chief Minister MK Stalin has advised that the power tariff of household consumers is to be maintained at the current rate when TNERC issues an order revising the tariff. He further added the CM has asked for the continuation of all free and subsidy schemes that are in place at the moment. This would mean that the state government would absorb the tariff hike for household consumers, which is likely to increase the tariff subsidy provided by the state government to the financially ailing Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL). The tariff subsidy provided in 2024-25 to TNPDCL was Rs 15,772.21 crore. In 2023, the state government fully absorbed the tariff increase of 2.18%. This led to the tariff subsidy going up by nearly 25% from Rs 12,069.97 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 14,976.42 crore in 2023-24. In 2024, the government partially absorbed the increase of 4.83%, resulting in a marginal increase in tariff subsidy of around 5%. Sivasankar's statement came in the backdrop of the anticipated annual automatic tariff revision that will come into force from July 1 every year until 2026-27, once TNERC issues orders. The revision is linked to the Consumer Price Index based retail inflation for the country for April month of respective year with a cap of 6%.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Power tariff may increase by 3.16% from July
Chennai: Power tariff in the state is likely to increase by 3.16% for all categories of electricity consumers, including households, in line with the recently released consumer price index (CPI). It will be effective from July 1. This will be the fourth consecutive annual revision of electricity tariffs in the state. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has been revising suo motu the power tariffs every year since 2022 based on the latest consumer price index as part of the multi-year tariff formula for five years, as decided in 2022. Domestic consumers who were paying 1,000 as power bills on average last year will pay 31.6 extra. Similarly, power consumption charges and fixed charges for common supply services in apartments and multi-tenement buildings will also increase by 3.16%. The tariff revision will also apply to high-tension consumers such as industries and other low-tension consumers. Even though the tariff revision has been capped at 6%, the tariff was increased by 2.18% in 2023 and 4.83% in 2024. In 2023, the entire hike for domestic and a few other categories was absorbed by the state govt, and the power utility was compensated by way of subsidy. However, in 2024, the state govt proposed to release an additional subsidy in proportion to the 4.83% hike to domestic consumers, by which the domestic consumers were partially relieved of the burden of the hike last year. Sources in both TNERC and TNPDCL played down the annual tariff revision proposal, saying there is still time to decide on the tariff revision. The state govt is expected to formally intimate the discom as well as the regulatory body of its plans to either fully or partially subsidise the hike in the coming weeks. It may be noted that the electricity tariffs were revised last year on July 11, effective from July 1, after the Vikravandi bypoll for the legislative assembly seat was completed.
New Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Discom spent additional Rs 13K crore to buy more power than okayed in '23-24
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) purchased 82,906 MUs of electricity at a cost of Rs 55,754 crore in 2023-24 while Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) had approved the purchase of only 73,730 MUs for Rs 42,575 crore. This resulted in an excess procurement of 9,176 MUs and an additional expenditure of Rs 13,179 crore. According to the recent True-Up order given on April 30, the discom was allowed to purchase 40,686 MUs from central generating stations but managed to get only 37,661 MUs. On the other hand, it exceeded the limit in other areas. While TNERC had approved 1,961 MUs from independent power producers (IPPs) at Rs 1,094 crore, the discom purchased 4,236 MUs at Rs 2,938 crore — an additional expenditure of Rs 1,844 crore. Similarly, in the case of power exchange purchases, TNERC had given permission for 4,428 MUs at Rs 4,170 crore. But the discom procured 8,606 MUs for Rs 7,953 crore. The commission has raised concern over the sharp rise in power purchase cost, saying it does not match the values approved in the previous tariff order. Responding to TNERC's queries, TNPDCL said the increase was mainly due to a revision in fixed charges by central generating stations and a hike in energy charges passed through by the generators.
