Curbs on power supply at normal tariff mooted

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The KSEB on Wednesday recommended restricting power supply at normal tariff to domestic consumers to 300 units per bi-monthly billing cycle. The KSEB has also recommended ten percent restriction on power supply at normal tariff to all other LT category consumers. In a petition filed before the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the power utility said consumption exceeding the two ‘ceilings’ should be charged at Rs 10 per unit.  The KSEB petition comes in the wake of the Commission chastising it on April 4 for imposing power restrictions on HT/EHT category consumers alone and letting the LT category off lightly with half-hour cyclic loadshedding. The Commission had observed that ‘’the burden of power restrictions also should be  shared by all sections of the consumers.’’ Domestic consumers use up 22.52 million units (MU) a day.  With the 300 unit-ceiling, domestic consumption can be reduced by 2.61 MU, KSEB has suggested. The power restrictions proposed for the entire LT category including domestic consumers will save the KSEB 3.59 MU a day. The State Electricity Regulatory Commission will hold a hearing on the KSEB petition in Thiruvananthapuram on April 25.