Delhi: Now, pay nothing for Rs. 800 electricity bill
A few weeks ago, Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government announced that those who consume up to 200 units of electricity in the National Capital won't have to pay the bill. And now, the Aam Aadmi Party government has come up with another plan. Domestic households that can manage to keep their electricity bill under Rs. 800, won't have to pay anything. Here are more details.
Backstory: Understanding what Kejriwal's announcement meant
As per Kejriwal's announcement, households consuming up to 200 units of electricity, with an additional caveat of maximum 5kW sanctioned load, won't have to pay anything. Further, those consuming between 201 and 400 units of electricity, will have to pay just 50% of their bill, as the rest will be subsidized by the government. Interestingly, the new plan is an extension of the initial announcement.
Delhi government will give a discount to domestic households
The revised scheme covers those households that consume up to 208 units/month as their bill would be less than Rs. 800. "Even those households who have a consumption of say, 204 units with a low sanctioned load, will have to pay nothing. For the rest who consume up to 400 units, those households will get a subsidy of flat Rs. 800," a government official told HT.
Unlike earlier, vacant properties won't invite hefty bills
Another official said this scheme will also benefit those whose properties are not occupied. The official explained that there are many farmhouses/bungalows, whose owners stay outside, which have a relatively higher sanctioned load. Under the revised plan, they will have to pay either nothing or a negligible amount. Even families who go on holidays and don't consume electricity for a month will reap benefits.
Interestingly, government will pay for fixed charges and surcharges
The official went on to say that the government will be paying for "fixed charges and surcharges in electricity bills up to certain units". As per the power department's calculations, a household having a sanctioned load of 5kW or 7kW won't have to pay anything, if there's no consumption. Moreover, those consuming up to 208 units (with 1kW load) will also be charged nothing.
So, how much will this new scheme cost the government?
Though official figures haven't been revealed, officials are expecting it will increase the cost by at least Rs. 300 crore. To note, in 2018-19, Delhi had around 2.6 million consumers who used up to 200 units of electricity. There are 1.4 lakh consumers who use somewhere between 200 and 400 units. Currently, the count of domestic electricity consumers in Delhi is 4.9 million.
