Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam power bills are heading up. The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission gave the green light for the Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd to recoup 155.59 crore in fuel and power purchase adjustment surcharges. This covers costs racked up from April through August 2026.
APDCL will start the recovery process in November and wrap it up by March 2027. The utility initially blamed flood-related disruptions for the pileup of costs. They asked for a specific five-month schedule to clear the 156 crore debt. The commission rejected that specific plan, instead granting the company flexibility to manage the levy during that window. APDCL must keep the surcharge separate from regular monthly charges on all bills.
The power company had asked to protect low-income households. They wanted a reduced surcharge of 0.05 per unit for Jeevan Dhara and domestic users consuming under 120 units monthly. The commission denied this differential rate. Any shortfall from these categories will be reviewed later.
Regulators loosened rules 4.2, 4.3, 4.6, and 5.1 of the 2024 adjustment regulations to make this happen. They warned that this is a one-off move. The commission noted, "The relaxation was granted only in view of the special circumstances of the present case and would not serve as a precedent for future cases." APDCL must now submit monthly records and billing data for strict oversight.
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