Telangana Discoms Proposes Rs 6.1 Per Unit For EV Charging

The Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) and Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (NPDCL), the two Telangana power utilities have proposed to levy Rs 6.10 per unit at Low Tension (LT) voltage level and Rs 6.10 along with the time of day (ToD) charges at High Tension (HT) voltage level 11 Kv and above from the upcoming electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

While their December filing to seek a separate category for EV charging was rejected, the state regulator Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission(TSERC) received the revised rate which is much lower than earlier proposed slab-based rates starting at Rs 7.50 per for the consumption of the first 100 units to as high as Rs 10 per unit for consumption of electricity beyond 500 units by the charging stations.

While the LT level drawing of power will cost Rs 6.10 per unit round the clock, the same at HT level will be charged at Rs 7.10 per unit between 6 AM and 10 AM in the morning. Between 6 PM and 10 PM in the evening it costs Rs 5.10 per unit. During the daytime, between 10 AM and 6 PM, the tariff will be the same as charged at the LT voltage level.

The new tariff rates are expected to encourage people to look at electric vehicles as a viable option when compared to the steep commercial rates proposed by the power utilities. The power utilities keeping in review the latest change in the tariff policy which took place in May.

The recent amendment says that tariff for EV charging has to be less than or equal to the average cost of supply. The average cost of supply at the state level was determined at Rs 6.04 per unit for the financial year 2018-19.

Currently Telangana is the among the first few states in the country, who have taken steps and came up with a separate tariff for EV charging after the Power Ministry amended the tariff policy. In June Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation (MSEDEL) proposed to charge Rs 6 per unit from EV charging stations at both HT and LT voltage levels.