KSEB’s New Time-of-Day, Time-of-Use Systems Could Raise Electricity Bills for Night-Time Usage

Thiruvananthapuram: The KSEB is taking a new approach to electricity tariffs that could increase the burden on consumers. Under the pretext of controlling higher electricity consumption during peak hours, the government is effectively moving towards placing the additional cost on the public. Due to shortcomings in the government’s planning, KSEB had been forced to purchase electricity at higher rates. The move is aimed at passing this burden on to consumers.

With the implementation of the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission’s new ‘Time of Day’ system, consumers will have to pay more for electricity used during peak hours at night. The proposal is to charge lower rates during the daytime and higher rates during periods of heavy consumption at night.

At present, the ‘Time of Day’ tariff is being introduced for domestic consumers who use more than 250 units of electricity per month. Under the new system, the KSEB bill will be determined based on the time at which electricity is consumed. Smart meters will accurately record the number of units used during each time period. Going forward, when the electricity is used will be as important as how much electricity is consumed in determining the bill.

Consumers who use more electricity between 6 pm and 10 pm will face a significant increase in their bills. This could make even routine use of lights, fans and air conditioners at night more expensive.

With KSEB planning to expand the use of smart meters, the system is expected to eventually cover more consumers.