Power demand crossed 18,000MW in Jan-Feb

WITH summer upon us, the demand for power has shot up, with peak demand exceeding 18,000MW in the past two months.

- BOSKY KHANNA @Bengaluru

IF the recent 36-paise per unit surcharge in the electricity bill is not bad enough, there are more taxes in the pipeline.

According to energy department officials, consumers taking new or temporary connections have to pay for the smart meter and service charges. Further, all existing consumers have to contribute to service charges of smart meters installed for new consumers, in their electricity bills. This amount will only increase over time, as the number of meters will keep going up.

The recently introduced surcharge -- said to be the government's contribution towards the pension and gratuity of the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited and Escoms employees -- will reflect in power bills in May.

As the energy department prepares to replace all existing electro-static meters (ESM) with smart meters in sync with Central government schemes and rules, experts have strongly opposed the financial burden on consumers. These additional charges are being imposed even before the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) announces a hike in power tariff.

KPCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey told the media on Monday that directions for installation of smart meters were issued by the Central government. Barring Karnataka and Telangana, it is being done in bulk in 28 states.