DERC’s power tariff for 2020-21 will add to financial challenges of discoms: TPDDL
The new power tariff announced by the DERC for 2020-21, without any hike in the existing rates, will “substantially increase” the financial “challenges” and affect the “ability” to ensure round-the-clock electricity supply by the discoms in Delhi, a spokesperson of the TPDDL said on Saturday. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) announced the new tariff on Friday, saying no hike was considered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the DERC has maintained the tariff at the existing level. However, for the discoms, this tariff order will substantially increase the financial challenges and hence, the ability to ensure 24×7 power supply,” the spokesperson of the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) said. TPDDL supplies electricity to around 18 lakh consumers in north and northwest Delhi. The BSES discoms — BRPL and BYPL — cover the rest of the city, serving around 43 lakh consumers.
The new tariff order is in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a very challenging time for the customers as well as for the discoms, the TPDDL spokesperson said, adding that a sharp drop in the sales to commercial and industrial customers has “deeply impacted” the discoms’ finances in the last five months.
