The prevailing power tariffs in the State will remain in force for another three months or till the new tariffs are in place, whichever is earlier, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has decided.
The prevailing schedule of tariffs and terms and conditions for retail supply of electricity by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and other distribution licensees stand extended for a three-month period from April 1 to June 30 or till the new tariffs come into force, whichever is earlier, an order issued by commission chairman Preman Dinaraj and member A. J. Wilson says.
The existing tariffs were valid till March 31. On the other hand, the commission is yet to finalise a decision on the proposals made by the KSEB for revision of tariffs. This will be done only after the commission holds public hearings in Ernakulam (April 1), Thiruvananthapuram (April 6), Kozhikode (April 11), and Palakkad (April 13) on the tariff proposals and the petitions on aggregate revenue requirement and expected revenue from charges (ARR&ERC) filed by the KSEB.
The new tariffs, when announced, will not have retrospective effect from April 1, commission officials had clarified earlier.
Electricity tariffs in Kerala were last revised on July 8, 2019 and were meant to be in force till March 31, 2020. The commission later issued orders extending the validity till March 31, 2022. As required by the KSERC (Terms and Conditions for Determination of Tariff) Regulations, 2021, the KSEB had filed the tariff proposals and ARR&ERC petitions for the 2022-23 to 2026-27 period on February 10.
