THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, March 25: Electricity consumers in Jharkhand will face higher bills as the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC) has approved a 6.12% tariff hike, increasing the burden on domestic users by 55 paise per unit. The revised rates will be effective from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2031.
Domestic and commercial tariffs revised
For urban domestic consumers, the tariff has been increased from ₹6.85 to ₹7.40 per unit, while for rural domestic consumers, it has gone up from ₹6.70 to ₹7.20 per unit. However, fixed charges remain unchanged at ₹100 (urban) and ₹75 (rural).
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In the commercial category, rural tariffs have risen from ₹6.20 to ₹6.70 per unit, and urban tariffs from ₹6.70 to ₹7.30 per unit, with no change in fixed charges. For HT commercial connections, the rate has been fixed at ₹8.00 per unit with a ₹400 fixed charge.
Industrial and other categories
In the industrial segment, Low Tension tariffs have increased from ₹6.10 to ₹6.60, while general industrial rates have gone up from ₹5.90 to ₹6.40 per unit. Tariffs for special services have been raised from ₹5.25 to ₹5.80, and street lighting from ₹7.00 to ₹7.60 per unit.
The rate for RTS connections has also been revised upward from ₹5.80 to ₹6.50 per unit. Domestic High Tension (HT) consumers will now pay ₹7.20 per unit, up from ₹6.40, with no change in fixed charges.
EV charging gets relief
In a relief measure, tariffs for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations have been reduced. The daytime (solar hours) rate has been cut from ₹7.31 to ₹7.00 per unit, while the night (non-solar hours) rate has been slightly reduced from ₹8.77 to ₹8.70 per unit.
The Commission noted that while JBVNL had proposed a steep 59% hike, the approved increase was limited to 6.12% after detailed scrutiny, balancing consumer interest and utility needs.