PATIALA: The electricity in Punjab would become cheaper by 3.5 percent from April 1 in wake of orders of power hike for year 2007-08 issued by Punajb State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) in September last.

Punjab state electricity Board (PSEB) will only charge only 4.9 hike percent hike from April 1,2008 as against   8.4 percent which was primarily hiked for a period of seven months.

The  PSERC has yet not revised tariff for 2008-2009 since Annual Revenue report (ARR) by PSEB was filled only on February 15 due to postponed Panchayat elections. According to Electricity Act 2003 PSERC can take the decision of power revision only after May 15 i.e 120 days of filing ARR  report.

The power tariff, in domestic sector, for the consumers falling in a category consuming up to 100 units will be reduced by 7.91 paise, it was raised by 19 paise per unit in September last (raising it from 221 paise to 240 paise per unit).

For consumers using power up to 300 units, tariff will be reduced by 10.83 paise; it was hiked by 26 paise per unit .

Similarly tariff for above 300 units will be charge less by 11 paise per unit. For streetlights, tariff will be charge less by 12.50 paise per unit. Similarly power tariff industry will be reduced accordingly by 3.5 percent.

The PSERC had increased power tariff in September last year. Though the tariff has increased from April 1, it came in to force from September 1. The average increase for the whole year is 4.90 per cent.

However, as the tariff is to be recovered in the remaining seven months, after annulisation it will become 8.4 per cent.

The tariff was raised in September last after a gap of almost two years and that too by taking a suo moto initiative by the commission because the PSEB had not filed the petition to raise the tariff to meet its enhanced annual revenue requirement (ARR).

This year too keeping eye on panchayat polls and expected parliament elections the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) did not seek any hike in power tariff in its petition filled on February 15 before the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC). PSEB on the direction of Punjab Government has left matter for tariff revision entirely on PSERC.