State power tariffs remain same as regulator retains rates

Guwahati: The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC) on Friday announced that power tariffs will remain unchanged for FY 2026-27, effective Apr 1. The decision comes ahead of the assembly elections, ensuring households and businesses face no additional burden.The regulatory body issued tariff orders for APDCL, APGCL, AEGCL and SLDC after hearings and public consultations.It stated that APDCL had sought approval for a revenue gap of ₹467.03 crore, but the regulator allowed ₹407.91 crore, permitting only prudent costs. Despite a nominal surplus of ₹5.41 crore, the commission ruled that the reduction would translate to just 0.4 paise per unit, and hence decided to retain tariffs at FY 2025-26 levels.

EV charging tariffs remain unchanged at ₹8.72/kWh for low-tension stations and ₹8.35/kWh for high-tension stations. The time-of-day (ToD) tariff structure and voluntary green energy tariff of ₹1/kWh have also been retained.Significantly, state govt in Dec last year committed to continue the existing category-wise subsidy for FY 2026-27, effective Apr 1, 2026.By retaining rates and extending subsidies, the govt and regulator have sought to balance utility finances with consumer relief.