The government’s move maintains the tariffs at the current levels and benefits about 1.13 crore domestic consumers.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
The State government’s commitment to bridge the estimated revenue gap of the Discoms amounting to nearly ₹15,791 crore and disburse it to them resulted in a zero hike in the electricity tariffs for FY 2026‑27 and a reduction (true-down) to certain categories of consumers.
The Discoms had proposed a revenue gap of approximately ₹17,508 crore, but the A.P. Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) approved only ₹15,791 crore, as per the retail sale tariff order issued by its Chairman P.V.R. Reddy on Wednesday.
It had been stated that the undertaking given by the government to disburse the revenue gap amounts to the Discoms was aimed at preventing hardship for the end consumers by maintaining the tariffs at the current levels.
As a consequence of the government’s support to the Discoms, there would be no tariff increase for any consumer category and it would benefit about 1.13 crore domestic consumers.
The order mentioned that the tariff for commercial consumers stands reduced from ₹12.25 per unit to ₹9.95 per unit benefiting nearly two lakh consumers, and the load limit for cottage industries had been increased from 10 HP to 20 HP, which would benefit nearly 18,000 cottage industry consumers in the form of a concessional tariff.
Further, the APERC approved the creation of a separate subcategory for solar module industries as per the government’s policy to promote renewable energy equipment manufacturing in the State.
Besides, the commission reclassified water purification plants and printing presses from commercial to industrial category, and street lighting on National Highways from Category-II (Commercial) to Category-IV(A) utilities.
The APERC rejected the Discoms’ proposals to change the Time of Day (ToD) timings, bill solar rooftop consumers under the non-telescopic method and dispense with the green power sub-category.
It directed the Committee of Discoms to develop strategies to minimise private arrears to the greatest extent feasible and comply with GO.Rt.No 147, dated December 5, 2022, in order to reduce electrical accidents.
The Discoms and AP-Transco were ordered to open a special window on their websites for the general public to upload the locations and photos of the utilities’ electrical risk-prone equipment, and to make the same facility available through their WhatsApp numbers.
Published – March 25, 2026 07:47 pm IST
