HERC seeks action plans from power utilities to reduce losses

Chandigarh, Jan 16 (PTI) The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC)conducted a review to discuss the annual revenue requirement (ARR) petitions filed by the state's power utilities, the HERC said on Thursday.

The hearing, chaired by Nand Lal Sharma with Member Mukesh Garg here on Wednesday, involved a detailed examination of petitions submitted by the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd (HVPNL), and Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd(HPGCL).

The commission reviewed the financial and operational performance of the utilities and directed them to submit action plans to reduce revenue deficits, make the tariff determination process more transparent, and provide relief to consumers.

The commission sought a detailed report on the fuel surcharge adjustment (FSA) of Rs 8,245.85 crore and directed to reduce it.

Additionally, the utilities were instructed to suggest measures such as cost-cutting and efficiency improvements to bridge the estimated revenue deficit of Rs 4,520.24 crore for 2025-26.

The commission emphasised the need to simplify and make the billing process more transparent.

It directed that key details such as billing period, total consumption, bill amount, and due date should be prominently displayed in bold letters on electricity bills.

The Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd (HVPNL) was directed to submit a plan to reduce transmission losses.

The Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (HPGCL) was instructed to provide a detailed report on the disposal and sale of fly ash, including its inclusion as "other income" in the ARR.

The commission also directed HPGCL to increase the plant availability factor (PAF) from 80 per cent to 90 per cent and to present a plan for achieving this goal.

Chairman Nand Lal Sharma described the public hearing as a significant step toward enhancing the efficiency and transparency of the state's power utilities.

He stated that the objective of this process is not only to strengthen the financial health of the utilities but also to ensure the delivery of high-quality services to consumers.

He added that these reforms would lead to improved operations of power distribution and generation companies. PTI VSD TRB

Source: PTI