Power regulator DERC Thursday announced new tariff for Delhi without any increase in rates, saying it did not see any "good reasons" to do so.
However, the power bill for consumers may increase marginally from October 1 as the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has raised the pension surcharge from 5 per cent to 7 per cent.
"After considering all the relevant factors, the Commission has come to the conclusion that there are no good reasons to make any increase in the existing tariff structure,' the DERC said in a statement.
Last fiscal also (2020-21) also, the DERC did not hike electricity rates citing the Covid pandemic.
In the new power tariff order, the DERC has encouraged green power by providing waiver of Service Line cum Development (SLD) and Network Augmentation charges for all renewable energy projects to developers under the Virtual & Group Net Metering mode.
In order to promote pollution-free transportation and clean environment, the commission has decided to continue with the existing subsidised tariff rates for e vehicles.
It has also kept the levy of Regulatory Asset Surcharge of 8 percent unchanged in 2021-22. The surcharge is levied on the consumers of power discoms in Delhi.
The power tariff in Delhi has not witnessed any major increase since the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in 2015. Ruling party leaders claim the electricity rates in the city are "cheapest" in the country.
Delhi's power discoms -- BRPL, BYPL and TPDDL -- in their petitions to the DERC before the tariff revision had demanded a hike, citing losses due to COVID-19.
