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					</table>The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://www.aperc.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APERC</a>) has notified that the existing Low Tension (LT) and High Tension (HT) power tariffs and structure approved for the financial year (FY) 2025-26 will continue for FY 2026-27.
Domestic Consumers
The LT category has a fixed charge of ₹10 (~$0.11)/kW across all slabs. Energy charges determined by the Commission are:
<ul>
<li>0 to 30 units: ₹2.19 (~$0.023)/kWh</li>
<li>31 to 75 units: ₹3.27 (~$0.035)/kWh</li>
<li>76 to 125 units: ₹4.58 (~$0.048)/kWh</li>
<li>126 to 225 units: ₹6 (~$0.063)/kWh</li>
<li>226 to 400 units: ₹8.75 (~$0.093)/kWh</li>
<li>Above 400 units: ₹9.75 (~$0.013)/kWh</li>
</ul>
For HT domestic consumers, the fixed charge is ₹75 (~$0.79)/kVA, with an energy charge of ₹7 (~$0.074)/kWh across all voltage levels.
Commercial Category
LT consumers will have a fixed charge of ₹75 (~$0.79)/kW. They will have to pay a fixed charge of ₹100 (~$1.06)/kW for consumption above 500 units.
For monthly consumption, the charges will vary:
<ul>
<li>0 to 50 units: ₹5.40 (~$0.0574)/kWh</li>
<li>51 to 100 units: ₹7.65 (~$0.0813)/kWh</li>
<li>101 to 300 units: ₹9.05 (~$0.096)/kWh</li>
<li>301 to 500 units: ₹9.60 (~$0.012)/kWh</li>
<li>Above 500 units: ₹9.95 (~$0.11)/kWh</li>
</ul>
HT consumers will incur a fixed charge of ₹475 (~$5.05)/kVA, with energy charges set at ₹7.65 (~$0.0813)/kWh at 11 kV, ₹6.95 (~$0.0739)/kWh at 33 kV, ₹6.70 (~$0.0712)/kWh at 132 kV, and ₹6.65 (~$0.0707)/kWh at 220 kV.
Electric vehicle charging stations will have to pay ₹6.70 ($0.0712)/kWh across all voltage levels. Green power consumers will pay ₹9.95 (~$0.11)/kWh across all voltage levels.<a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-tariff-1.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-92484 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-tariff-1.png" alt="APERC Retail tariff 1" width="536" height="288" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-tariff-1.png 536w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-tariff-1-300x161.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px" /></a>
Industrial Consumers
LT general industries will pay a fixed charge of ₹75 (~$0.8777)/kW and an energy charge of ₹6.70 (~$0.0712)/kWh. HT consumers will have to pay a fixed charge of ₹475 (~$5.05)/kVA.
The Time-of-Day (ToD) tariff for high grid demand (Apr-May 2026, Sep-Oct 2026, Feb 2027, and March 2027) is as follows:
Peak Hours (6 AM-10 AM and 6 PM-10 PM)
<ul>
<li>11 kV: ₹7.80 (~$0.082)/kWh</li>
<li>33 kV: ₹7.35 (~$0.078)/kWh</li>
<li>132 kV: ₹6.90 (~$0.073)/kWh</li>
<li>220 kV: ₹6.85 (~$0.0802)/kWh</li>
</ul>
Off-Peak Hours (12 AM-6 AM and 10 AM-3 PM)
<ul>
<li>11 kV: ₹5.55 (~$0.059)/kWh</li>
<li>33 kV: ₹5.10 (~$0.054)/kWh</li>
<li>132 kV: ₹4.65 (~$0.049)/kWh</li>
<li>220 kV: ₹4.60 (~$0.048)/kWh</li>
</ul>
Normal Hours (3 PM-6 PM and 10 PM-12 AM)
<ul>
<li>11 kV: ₹6.30 (~$0.067)/kWh</li>
<li>33 kV: ₹5.85 (~$0.062)/kWh</li>
<li>132 kV: ₹5.40 (~$0.057)/kWh</li>
<li>220 kV: ₹5.35 (~$0.056)/kWh</li>
</ul>
HT consumers will have to pay a fixed charge of ₹475 (~$5.05)/kVA and energy charges of ₹7.65 (~$0.0813)/kWh at 11 kV, ₹6.95 (~$0.073)/kWh at 33 kV, ₹6.70 (~$0.071)/kWh at 132 kV, and ₹6.65 (~$0.0707)/kWh at 220 kV.
Energy-intensive industries will incur a fixed charge of ₹475 (~$5.05)/kVA and energy charges of ₹5.80 (~$0.061)/kWh at 11 kV, ₹5.35 (~$0.056)/kWh at 33 kV, ₹4.95 (~$0.052)/kWh at 132 kV, and ₹4.90 (~$0.052)/kWh at 220 kV.
Cottage industries up to 10 horsepower will incur a fixed charge of ₹0.20 (~$0.002)/kW and an energy charge of ₹3.75 (~$0.039)/kWh.
Cross-Subsidy Surcharge and Additional Surcharge
No additional surcharge has been determined for any of the three distribution companies (DISCOMs) of the state, because they did not file proposals for it. APERC said such a proposal may be made within three months of the order.
The approved cross-subsidy surcharge (CSS) and wheeling charges DISCOM-wise for FY 2026-27 are as follows:
<a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-Tariff-Order-3.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-92485 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-Tariff-Order-3.png" alt="APERC Retail Tariff Order 3" width="1070" height="389" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-Tariff-Order-3.png 1070w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-Tariff-Order-3-300x109.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-Tariff-Order-3-768x279.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-Tariff-Order-3-650x236.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-Tariff-Order-3-624x227.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/APERC-Retail-Tariff-Order-3-600x218.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1070px) 100vw, 1070px" /></a>
The standby charges will apply only to long open access consumers who request a standby arrangement from the DISCOM for demand in excess of the contracted maximum demand, either at the time of entering into the open access agreement or subsequently.
The standby charges will be 120% of the normal tariff for the consumer category, without any penalty for exceeding the contracted maximum demand, for a cumulative duration of up to 72 hours across all events in a billing month.
Green Tariff 
The green tariff program enables both obligated and non-obligated consumers to procure renewable energy through their distribution licensee without any change in their consumer category.
Entities can submit a requisition at least one month in advance and may choose to procure renewable power in excess of their mandated Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO).
For FY 2026-27, the green tariff has been fixed at an additional ₹0.75 (~$0.0079)/kWh over the applicable normal tariff. Consumers opting for this scheme are issued monthly digital certificates confirming their renewable energy consumption.
All electricity consumers in the state will have the option to source 100% renewable energy by paying the green tariff for their category, without having to opt for a separate green power category.
The renewable energy purchased from the distribution licensee, more than the RPO of an obligated entity, and 100% of the energy procured by non-obligated entities, will be counted toward RPO compliance of the distribution licensee.
Last month, APERC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/andhra-pradesh-to-remove-cap-on-fuel-power-cost-adjustment-pass-through" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> removing the cap of ₹0.4 (~$0.0044)/kWh on the distribution licensee’s monthly pass-through of fuel and power purchase cost adjustment (FPPCA) charges. The amendment also allows the Commission to issue a true-up or true-down order for FPPCA after the DISCOM submits a petition for the full financial year, by the end of June in the following financial year.
Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to stay informed about critical updates from the renewable industry.

Andhra Pradesh Retains Existing Power Tariffs for FY 2027

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					</table>The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://www.erckerala.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KSERC</a>) has approved the billing procedure for the implementation of the smart prepaid metering system for government consumers availing electricity supply at the low tension (LT) level.
The Commission permitted Kerala State Electricity Board (<a href="https://kseb.in/ksebhome" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KSEB</a>) to adopt the proposed billing procedures for LT government consumers under Phase I of the smart prepaid metering rollout.
However, the Commission directed KSEBL to file a separate petition for approval of the capital investment plan and related details for Phase II and other consumer categories.
Background 
KSEBL filed a petition seeking approval for the billing procedure, meter rent, and the methodology for levying and adjusting the security deposit for smart prepaid meters for government consumers.
It proposed implementing smart prepaid metering in two phases with an estimated cost of ₹9.31 billion (~$102.44 million).
Phase I covers approximately 300,000 connections, including government consumers, HT consumers, feeder meters, and distribution transformer meters. The Commission had earlier approved ₹1.95 billion (~$21.46 million) for Phase-I implementation.
KSEBL submitted that the smart prepaid metering initiative is aligned with the distribution sector reforms of the Ministry of Power.
The state utility noted that all government offices provided with smart meters would transition to prepaid mode with effect from March 01, 2026.
As of January 1, 2026, there were 172,724 LT government consumers across various tariff categories proposed to be covered under this billing procedure.
KSEBL said the installation of smart prepaid meters for HT consumers will be completed by August 2026 at the earliest.
KSEBL argued that the existing billing framework was designed for post-paid consumers and did not address the operational and accounting requirements of prepaid supply.
It proposed daily provisional billing through the meter data management system, monthly final billing with reconciliation, wallet-based recharge through the KSEB mobile application, and automated disconnection and reconnection mechanisms.
Proposed Billing Procedure
<ul>
<li>Final monthly bills will be calculated by the distribution licensee in accordance with the applicable tariff schedule for the respective category of consumer and the relevant provisions of the Supply Code or other applicable regulations.</li>
<li>If the final monthly bill amount at the month&#8217;s end is less than the total amount deducted under the provisional daily billing, the differential will be credited to the consumer’s account within one day of the generation of the final monthly bill.</li>
<li>If the final monthly bill amount at the month&#8217;s end exceeds the total amount deducted under the provisional daily billing, the difference will be debited from the consumer’s account after generation of the final monthly bill and will be adjusted from the next recharge.</li>
<li>The distribution licensee should upload the consumer&#8217;s final bill to its website upon expiry of the billing period and inform the consumer immediately upon generation of the final bill.</li>
<li>The disconnection process will be initiated when the consumer’s prepaid account balance becomes zero or negative. For government consumers, there will not be any disconnection for the initial three months from the date of prepaid conversion. Before the disconnection, a grace period of up to 24 hours may be given, during which the consumer may recharge to avoid disconnection.</li>
<li>The consumer under disconnection can recharge their prepaid account with an amount sufficient to cover outstanding dues, any other applicable charges, and the minimum recharge amount during the disconnection period (up to a maximum of six months) for reconnection.</li>
</ul>
KSEB stated that the proposal was revenue-neutral and did not introduce any new charges but only altered the timing and mode of recovery of approved charges.
Commission’s Analysis 
The Commission observed that KSEB may adopt the proposed billing procedure for government consumers at the LT level.
However, regarding meter rent, it stated that a broader decision would be taken during the appraisal of billing procedures for the entire state.
Until further orders, KSEB was allowed to levy meter rent as approved in the tariff order dated December 5, 2024.
The Commission also clarified that consumers may purchase their own smart prepaid meters in accordance with CEA specifications. Such consumers would be exempt from the security deposit and meter rent.
The regulator directed KSEB to file separate petitions for approval of the capital investment plan and related matters for Phase II and other consumer categories before extending the system beyond LT government consumers.
In October last year, KSERC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/kerala-upholds-levy-of-fixed-charges-on-domestic-rooftop-solar-prosumers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upheld</a> KSEB’s decision to levy fixed charges on domestic solar prosumers under net-metering arrangements. The order clarified that there is no illegality in KSEBL’s current billing practice of collecting fixed charges based on total consumption, which includes grid imports, self-generation consumed at the premises, and banked energy.
Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates from the renewable industry.

Kerala Approves Smart Prepaid Billing for Government Consumers

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					</table>The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://rerc.rajasthan.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RERC</a>) has notified the Second Amendment to the Electricity Supply Code and Connected Matters Regulations, 2025, introducing significant changes to the rules governing the recovery of dues from permanently disconnected consumers, timelines for the restoration of supply, and connection charges for loads up to 150 kW.
The amended regulations apply to all distribution licensees (including deemed licensees) and consumers across the state.
The Commission has mandated stricter procedural safeguards before recovery of dues and has rationalized connection charges based on distance from the existing three-phase Low Tension (LT) network, while also clarifying when consumers will be treated as ‘new applicants’ after prolonged disconnection
Background 
The amendments modify provisions of the RERC (Electricity Supply Code and Connected Matters) Regulations, 2021, framed under Sections 43 to 48, 50, 55, 56, and 181 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The Supply Code governs the release, disconnection, restoration, and charging of electricity connections across consumer categories, including domestic, non-domestic, agricultural, and industrial users.
One of the key issues addressed by the amendment concerns the recovery of outstanding dues for permanently disconnected connections.
Another area requiring regulatory clarity was the time period within which consumers can seek restoration of supply, after which connections are deemed permanently disconnected and treated as fresh applications.
Additionally, the Commission revised Schedule I of the Supply Code to introduce a new category of standardized connection charges (Schedule-I, 2A) for applicants located within a defined distance of an existing 24-hour three-phase LT network, differentiated by consumer category and load size.
Recovery of Dues 
RERC amended Regulation 11.7(d) to require that outstanding dues of a permanently disconnected connection can be recovered from another existing or new connection of the same owner or occupier only after issuing a 30-day notice.
Distribution licensees must provide consumers with an opportunity for a personal hearing.
Time Limits Under the revised Regulation 11.8(b), applications for restoration of supply will be considered:
<ul>
<li>Within two years from disconnection for HT/EHT consumers</li>
<li>Within five years for all other consumers</li>
</ul>
After expiry of these periods, the connection will be treated as disconnected, and any further request for supply at the same premises will require a fresh application.
Connection charges up to a load of 150 kW would apply to domestic and non-domestic applicants whose premises fall within 300 meters of an available 24-hour supply three-phase LT network, and to industrial and mixed-load applicants whose premises fall within 200 meters of an available 24-hour supply three-phase LT network.<a href="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RERC-1.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-89866 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RERC-1.png" alt="REREC Order" width="886" height="742" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RERC-1.png 886w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RERC-1-300x251.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RERC-1-768x643.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RERC-1-650x544.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RERC-1-624x523.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/RERC-1-600x502.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px" /></a>
Other Points
Where installation of an 11 kV oil switch is required under the rules, the equipment will be provided by the applicant. In such cases, the applicable charges will be ₹24,000 (~$262.69) instead of ₹90,000 (~$985.11) and ₹34,000 (~$372.15) instead of ₹100,000 (~$1,094) for domestic and non-domestic (DS/NDS) connections with contract demand exceeding 50 kVA.
The Right-of-Way (RoW) for laying LT or HT cables and for the erection of DP sets will be arranged by the applicant.
Domestic and non-domestic premises located beyond 300 metres, and industrial or mixed-load premises located beyond 200 metres, from an existing 24-hour three-phase LT network will be released only after recovery of charges in accordance with the RERC Electricity Supply Code Regulations, 2021.
Connections with a load exceeding 150 kW will also be governed by the applicable provisions of the Supply Code.
These provisions will not apply to premises located in developer-developed colonies or plotted developments where pro rata charges are recovered under Regulation 7.6, to multi-storey buildings where electrification is mandatory under Regulation 7.5(i), or to private industrial areas where electrification or pro rata charges are already applicable under the regulations.
Where the connected load exceeds 112 kW or the contract demand exceeds 50 kVA, industrial connections will be released on the HT supply.
For all other consumer categories, connections with contract demand above 50 kVA will also be released on the HT supply.
Connections in multi-storey buildings in electrified areas with an estimated design demand exceeding 50 kVA, as well as cases of flatted developments requiring multiple connections, will be governed by the applicable provisions of the RERC Supply Code.
Recently, RERC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rajasthan-regulator-proposes-demand-flexibility-dsm-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> the draft RERC (Demand Flexibility/Demand Side Management) Regulations, 2026, proposing a comprehensive regulatory framework to integrate demand-side resources into the state’s power system.
Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates from the renewable industry.

RERC Revises Power Connection Charges, Supply Rules for High-Demand Consumers

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