State-owned power company Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) has proposed a separate tariff structure for agriculture consumers using high tension pumping load.
The new subsidized category with substantially lower tariff called High Tension Power Category is applicable for high tension agricultural pumping loads in farmer co-operatives and lift irrigation.
Currently, there is no category for farmers wanting to use high-tension power.
With main canal network of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNL) and Sujalam Sufalam on verge of completion, high tension power will be required to draw water from canals, rivers and dams to supply water directly to the fields of farmers for agriculture usage.
Besides proposing to create a new tariff category for high tension power users for agri sector, the Discoms (power distribution company) have also proposed to simply the existing structure.
The current tariff schedule provides for a discount (of 70% over HTP 1) on the demand charges to HTP-IV category apart from the much lower energy charges applicable to this category.
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“As such, whether a consumer consumes power during the day or night time, the fixed costs incurred by the Discoms to provide and maintain the connection remain the same. Hence there is no justification for providing a reduced fixed charge to this category of consumer. The lower energy charge applicable to this category of consumer is an adequate incentive for consumers to opt for MYT proposal for first control period (F.Y. 2008-09, 2009-10 & 2010-11),” says the petition filed by discoms.
In a bid to reduce load in peak hours, the discoms have proposed to increase the ‘time of use’ charge from prevailing 0.75 per unit to Re 1 per unit. This will encourage consumers to shift their loads to off peak hours.
For Low Tension Power 1 consumers, a separate rate for fixed charges for billing demand greater than contracted demand has been introduced to encourage demand side discipline among these category of consumers as required under the Availability Based Tariff regime.
Reactive energy charges have been proposed to be introduced for all consumers having contracted load over 10 BHP instead of the earlier threshold of 50 BHP.
The company has already provided for appropriate meters to record reactive energy usage for consumers of this category upto 10 BHP and above.