WAJAHAT SHABIR
Jammu: Electricity consumers across Jammu and Kashmir will have to pay more for power from September 1 after the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) approved the revised retail electricity tariff for Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) and Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) for 2026–27.
The tariff order, issued on August 20, provides for an average 6.83 per cent increase over the existing tariff. The revised rates will apply to electricity consumption from September 1, 2026, and will remain in force till March 31, 2027, unless amended, modified or extended by the Commission.
While approving the new tariff, JERC has retained concessional rates for domestic consumers, Below Poverty Line (BPL) households and small agricultural consumers, while also rationalising industrial tariffs and introducing voltage-wise benefits for consumers taking supply at higher voltages.
The actual amount paid by consumers will depend on their category, electricity consumption, sanctioned load and, in the case of eligible larger consumers, the time at which electricity is used.
For eligible BPL domestic consumers consuming up to 30 units a month, the energy charge has been fixed at ₹1.40 per unit, along with a fixed charge of ₹5 per kW per month.
The concession, however, will be available only to consumers possessing a valid BPL certificate issued by the competent authority. Consumption beyond 30 units in a month will be billed according to the applicable domestic tariff slabs.
For other metered domestic consumers, the energy charge will be ₹2.45 per unit for consumption up to 200 units, ₹4.20 per unit for 201 to 400 units, and ₹4.60 per unit for consumption above 400 units.
The fixed charge for metered domestic consumers has been fixed at ₹10 per kW per month.
This means that households crossing the 200-unit and 400-unit consumption levels will move into higher tariff slabs, making the total monthly bill dependent not only on the number of units consumed but also on the slab in which those units fall.
Small agricultural consumers have also been given tariff support under the revised order.
Agricultural connections up to 20 HP will be charged ₹1.05 per unit, with a fixed charge of ₹23 per HP per month.
For agricultural connections above 20 HP, the energy charge has been fixed at ₹6.30 per unit, while the fixed charge will be ₹47 per HP per month.
The concessional rate for smaller agricultural consumers is part of the Commission’s effort to protect categories considered more sensitive to tariff increases.
For single-phase Non-Domestic/Commercial consumers, the energy charge will be ₹3.75 per unit up to 200 units and ₹5.70 per unit above 200 units.
The fixed charge for single-phase commercial consumers will be ₹75 per kW per month.
For three-phase commercial connections, the energy charge has been fixed at ₹6.15 per kVAh, with a fixed charge of ₹140 per kVA per month.
Commercial consumers with a sanctioned load below 100 kW, but who are supplied and metered at HT voltage, will be eligible for a 5 per cent rebate on energy charges.
For LT industrial supply, the tariff has been fixed at ₹4.60 per kVAh, with a fixed charge of ₹63 per kVA per month.
For HT industrial consumers supplied at 11 kV, the energy charge will be ₹4.50 per kVAh, along with a demand charge of ₹184 per kVA per month.
JERC has also provided voltage-wise benefits to industrial consumers taking supply at higher voltage.
For HT industrial supply at 33 kV, the energy charge will be 10 paise per unit lower than the applicable 11 kV rate. Consumers taking supply at 66 kV and above will receive a reduction of 20 paise per unit compared with the 11 kV rate.
The move effectively provides a tariff incentive to consumers drawing power at higher voltage levels.
For Power Intensive Industries, the energy charge has been fixed at ₹5.30 per kVAh at 11 kV and ₹5.25 per kVAh at 33 kV.
The demand charge for the category will be ₹236 per kVA per month.
Supply at 66 kV and above will receive a further reduction of 10 paise per unit over the 33 kV rate.
The voltage-wise concessions are aimed at rationalising the tariff structure while encouraging efficient utilisation of the electricity distribution network.
The revised tariff also provides for a Time-of-Day (ToD) tariff for eligible consumers, excluding agricultural consumers, having sanctioned load or contract demand above 10 kW, subject to the availability of compatible metering and billing infrastructure.
Under the approved ToD mechanism, industrial and commercial consumers will pay a 20 per cent surcharge during peak hours, while other eligible consumers will face a 10 per cent peak-hour surcharge.
At the same time, a 20 per cent rebate during solar hours will be available.
The system is intended to encourage consumers to shift electricity use away from peak-demand periods and make greater use of power during solar hours.
For eligible consumers, therefore, the timing of electricity consumption could have a direct impact on the final bill.
The Commission has retained a separate tariff for electric vehicle charging and battery-swapping stations.
EV charging stations taking supply at LT will be charged ₹7 per kVAh, with no demand charge.
However, charging of privately owned electric vehicles at residential or other premises will not automatically attract the EV charging-station tariff. Such consumption will be billed under the tariff category applicable to the premises.
For government departments using LT metered supply, the tariff has been fixed at ₹8.30 per kVAh.
For General Purpose Bulk Supply at 11 kV, the energy charge will be ₹5.90 per kVAh, with a demand charge of ₹250 per kVA per month.
For railway traction supply at 11 kV, the energy charge has been fixed at ₹5.70 per kVAh, with a demand charge of ₹315 per kVA per month.
The Green Power Tariff will remain unchanged at ₹0.50 per kWh, payable over and above the applicable category tariff.
The revised tariff order also specifies charges for temporary electricity connections.
Temporary connections will be billed at one-and-a-half times the tariff applicable to the relevant consumer category.
If a temporary connection continues beyond 12 months, twice the normal fixed or demand charges as well as energy charges will become applicable.
JERC has approved a combined Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) of ₹10,275.72 crore for JPDCL and KPDCL for 2026–27.
Under the existing tariff, the revenue was estimated at ₹7,352.87 crore, leaving a revenue gap of ₹2,922.85 crore.
With the revised tariff, the revenue is expected to rise to ₹7,854.94 crore.
The remaining ₹2,420.78 crore will be met through government subsidy and grant support.
JERC has stated that recovering the entire revenue gap through tariff alone could have required an increase of around 40 per cent, indicating that the government subsidy has helped limit the burden on consumers.
The Commission has approved an average power purchase cost of ₹4.88 per unit for 2026–27.
The approved power purchase cost has been projected at ₹4.73 per unit for 2027–28 and ₹4.78 per unit for 2028–29.
JERC has continued the distribution loss targets at 15 per cent for JPDCL and 19 per cent for KPDCL for the 2026–27 to 2028–29 control period.
The targets for 2027–28 and 2028–29 may be reviewed depending on the actual performance of the two distribution companies.
The order also rationalises and restructures consumer categories and sub-categories in line with the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) norms.
JERC has continued the Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment (FPPCA) mechanism and directed quarterly reporting under it.
Miscellaneous charges have been kept unchanged.
The Commission has also approved the Business Plan and Multi-Year Tariff framework for 2026–27 to 2028–29 for JPDCL and KPDCL.
