Hike in power tariff: Former finance minister seeks review of HERC tariff order, files petition

The Congress leader said the regulator’s order gave a tariff shock to consumers across all categories when they received their electricity bills in June 2025.

Seeking a review of the increased electricity tariff in Haryana, former finance minister, Sampat Singh on Monday said that he has filed a review petition challenging the March 28 tariff order issued by the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC). The Congress leader said the regulator’s order gave a tariff shock to consumers across all categories when they received their electricity bills in June 2025.

During a briefing at Haryana Congress office on Monday, Singh said that there were widespread public protests against the new tariff regime across the state. (HT File)

During a briefing at Haryana Congress office on Monday, Singh said that there were widespread public protests against the new tariff regime across the state. Raising concerns over the pricing mechanism adopted by the power utilities, the former minister said that the power utilities were purchasing 7,964.28 crore units of power at a cost of ₹3.12 per unit. But the same is being sold to consumers at an average rate of ₹7.29 per unit,” he said.

Singh also pointed out that out of the total power purchased, only 6,916 crore units were reaching consumers, implying that the transmission and distribution losses exceeded 22%.

Referring to the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) undertaken by the Haryana government in September 2015, which covered ₹34,000 crore of liabilities of the power utilities, he said that post-UDAY, the power distribution companies reported a profit of ₹800 crore for the first time in March 2021. “However, instead of reducing the tariffs, the burden on consumers has been increased,” he said.