PATIALA: Electricity is set to cost more yet again in Punjab. The state regulator for power has given a go-ahead to the PSPCL to hike its fuel cost adjustment (FCA) surcharge in order to overcome an increase in coal and rail frieght prices.With the new move, the per unit cost of power in Punjab is expected to be between Rs 5.06 a unit to Rs 7.33 a unit for domestic consumbers — the highest amongst all northern states. By increasing tariff, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) hopes to recover Rs 146.35 crore, the increase in expenses expected due to the hike in coal and freight prices. In its latest order, the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has approved the recovery on account of additional cost paid by PSPCL for generating power at its own thermal plants and hike in power purchase cost from other thermal stations under a long-term contract during the fourth quarter of the 2017-18 fiscal.FCA surcharge will be levied during the second quarter of the 2018-19 fiscal and the increased cost would then be passed on to consumers. PSPCL had filed a petition for an increase in FCA surcharge on June 8, in which it had stated that the price of coal and rail freight had led to the increase in variable cost of power purchase during the last quarter of 2017-18 fiscal.After taking all aspects into consideration, PSERC concluded that PSPCL had worked out the total FCA amount chargeable at Rs 160.31 crore. It calculated chargeable FCA as 17 paise per unit for metered category consumers and 17 paise per unit, or Rs 6.94 per BHP, per month for unmetered category consumers.The commission observed that PSPCL had worked out the fuel cost of its own thermal plants by taking transit loss of coal as 1% instead of actual, which was less than 1%. Accordingly, the fuel cost of PSPCL’s thermal generating stations was reworked by considering the actual transit loss.The regulator said that while calculating the chargeable FCA per unit, PSPCL considered the consumption figures of January to March 2018. However, the commission provisionally allowed the recovery of Rs 146.35 crore due to increase in fuel cost, which would be levied during the second quarter of the present fiscal, subject to reconciliation or validation of the balance sheet for the 2017-18 financial year.___OTHER HIKES IN TARIFFIn October 2017, the state increased the cost of electricity betwen 6.7% and 12%, prompting several protestsAt that time, the per unit cost of power in Punjab had gone up to Rs 4.98 (previously Rs 4.52) and Rs 7.36 (previously Rs 6.56) for domestic supply and from Rs 7.1 (previously Rs 6.53) to Rs 7.47 (previously Rs 6.75) for commercial establishmentsThe cost of power for industrial sector had also gone up between 8.5% and 11.88%In March this year, the state government had approved the social security bill under which a 5% tax was imposed on electricity bills.2ND INCREASE IN FCA | This is the second time this year that Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has allowed PSPCL to recover additional fuel cost adjustment (FCA) surcharge from consumers. In April, the PSERC permitted the corporation to charge FCA surcharge of Rs 103.34 crore.

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