Delhi power rates may rise in April as govt prepares to clear discom dues

The electricity rates in the city are likely to rise from April as the Delhi government is preparing for disbursal of pending dues of over Rs 38,000 crore to the three power discoms, officials said on Sunday.

The government is, however, planning to subsidise the hike in power tariff to cushion the impact on the consumers, they said.

The Supreme Court in August last year directed that the regulatory assets, including carrying costs of Rs 27,200 crore, be paid to Delhi’s three private discoms, BRPL, BYPL and TPDDL, in seven years.

Regulatory assets — costs that are expected to be recovered in future — have risen sharply due to a lack of any power tariff hike in the past decade under the Aam Aadmi Party rule.

Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), city’s power regulator, informed the central agency, Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL), in January that total regulatory assets in Delhi stand at Rs 38,552 crore.

As per DERC filing, the outstanding amount includes Rs 19,174 crore for BRPL, Rs 12,333 crore for BYPL and Ra 7,046 crore for TPDDL. The amounts are approved expenditures incurred by the discoms for supplying electricity.

The original regulatory asset amounts have increased due to piling up interest because of the delay in recovery, they said.

The court had also directed DERC to prepare a recovery plan, account for carrying costs (interest) and conduct a detailed audit explaining the prolonged delay in cost recovery.

The recovery is likely to be made through an increased regulatory asset surcharge in electricity bills over a seven-year period.

Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood in March last year said the discoms were authorised to recover Rs 27,000 crore accumulated as regulatory assets, hinting that the electricity rates may go up in the city.