Delhi's Power Consumers to be Paid Enhanced Compensation for Outages

New Delhi: Power consumers in the national capital will now be paid enhanced compensation from their discoms in case of outages as the DERC has issued the revised Supply Code 2017 notifying Delhi government's policy for compensation in case of electricity supply interruptions.

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) on Tuesday issued the third amendment in Supply Code 2017 notifying the compensation policy in-line with the directions issued by Delhi government under Section 108 of the Electricity Act 2003, said a Delhi government statement.

Previously, the consumers were paid at the rate of Rs 10 per KW per hour, maximum up to Rs 200, in case of different categories of interruptions in power supply. According to the new regulation, the power consumers will be paid Rs 50 per hour for first two hours of unscheduled cut followed thereafter by Rs 100 per hour, it said.

The compensation will be payable automatically by the discoms to consumers. It will be adjusted in their power bills. The discoms will submit a report of all such credited compensations to the DERC on weekly basis, said the statement.

Any disagreement over payment of compensation will be decided by the Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum (CGRF). Appeal on the CGRF order will be taken up by the Electricity Ombudsman, it said.

According to the Code, if a claim of consumer for unscheduled power cut is upheld by the CGRF or Ombudsman, the amount of compensation in such cases will go up to Rs 5,000 or five times of the compensation payable originally.

In case of scheduled outages, the compensation will be payable after 12 hours or in case outage extends beyond 6 pm whichever is earlier. In cases of burnt or stolen meters, the supply has to be restored within three hours of complaint, thereafter compensation will be payable on hourly basis. Replacement of meter is to be done within three days failing which a compensation of Rs 50 per day will be payable.