In the wake of increases witnessed in prices of commodities such as milk, petrol, diesel, and CNG, people in the state of Uttar Pradesh have been hit with yet another blow on their finances. According to the official notice, an additional 10% increase in electricity tariff is imminent for the month of June, courtesy of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL).
In the directive sent by the state-run company, consumers of Uttar Pradesh are expected to face increased electricity bills from the month of June going forward. It was revealed that the UPPCL is going to impose an additional 10% surcharge on electricity bills for its customers.
The increase in electricity bill charges has come about following an upward revision in fuel surcharges. This basically means that apart from the normal monthly bill of electricity usage, consumers will be expected to incur an additional expense of 10% as a supplementary tariff.
Escalation in electricity tariff due to rising costs
The new surcharge will affect thousands of consumers belonging to different categories, among them domestic users, commercial entities, and industrial customers.
In support of the rise in tariffs, officials at the highest levels within the electricity department explained that the fuel charge was an important tool that was necessary for coping with the rising costs associated with generating electricity. The added expenses for the electricity department will henceforth be forwarded to consumers in the form of a new tariff component on their monthly bills.
Higher tariffs imposed amid summer outages
There is much disapproval of the increased tariffs imposed, considering that it comes at a time when many have been complaining about power interruptions and erratic supplies within various districts.
With temperatures soaring during this summer season, the demand for electricity has reached its highest levels. This means that residents must cope with an overloaded electricity system and voltage fluctuations. With such poor electricity provision services, a rise in tariffs by 10 percent will be a significant blow to the budget of middle- and lower-income groups.
