KSEB to Levy Fuel Surcharge from This Month Amid Criticism Over UDF's Power Planning Failure

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board will impose a fuel surcharge on consumers from this month. Monthly-billed consumers will pay three paise per unit, while bi-monthly-billed consumers will pay two paise per unit. The surcharge covers the additional cost incurred by KSEB in purchasing power from external sources.

Due to planning failures by the UDF government, KSEB was forced to buy electricity at higher rates from the open market. Widespread load-shedding had to be imposed in June and July as a result. The additional surcharge is being levied to recover from consumers the extra financial burden incurred in July on this account.

Notably, V D Satheesan, when he was Leader of the Opposition, had described the imposition of such surcharges as daylight robbery. His government is now attempting to pass on to consumers the additional liability arising from its own planning failures.