Mumbai Electricity Rates From Some Providers to Become Cheaper; Bigger Emphasis on Electric Cars and Bikes

A new tariff order by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission says that the overall electricity tariff for power utilities in Mumbai will either remain unchanged or decrease by up to 4 per cent starting next month. 

Tata Power consumers within the 0-11 units bracket will see their rates dipping by up to 4 per cent. The rates for BEST which has a customer base of 10.5 lakh people in Mumbai will remain unchanged for the first two slabs comprising of 1-100 units and 101-300 units. The customers for these lines are mostly based within Colaba to Sion and Cuffe Parade to Mahim.

However, high-end consumers will see a drop in tariff rates by 1 per cent starting April 1 which is also when the new financial year commences.  

Also read - BEST Pending Electricity Bills Cross INR 100 Crores Mark

The slashing of prices will no doubt bring much-needed relief to commercial, residential, and industrial utility users who were hit by the COVID-19 lockdown last year. As of right now, the pending power bill payments reportedly total to more than ₹45,000 crores.  

Overall, 2021-22 will see BEST having the cheapest power in Maharashtra for five years in a row while the MSEDCL will have the highest residential, industrial, and commercial tariffs.

Low-end residential users of Tata Power (0-100 units) will see a price drop from ₹3.77 per unit to ₹3.63 per unit which is a 4 per cent decrease. For users that fall in the 101-300 units category, a drop of 4 paise has been pitched, which is just below 1 per cent. High-end users who consume between 301-500 units per month will witness a 1 per cent increase in rates.

Read - Central Railway To Promote Electric Bikes

As for users of Adani Electricity, low-end residential customers will see a rate increase of less than 1 per cent. Meanwhile, high-end users using 301-500 units per month or over 500 units monthly will see their rates drop starting April. 

Residential users of MSEDCL will see a 2 per cent drop in tariff while those in the 500 units plus bracket will see an increase of 4 paise.

This order also slashes the rates for charging electric vehicles from ₹6 per unit to ₹5.5 per unit so as to encourage citizens to switch to e-bikes and electric vehicles. Studies show that electric vehicles end up being very economical in the long run as compared to vehicles that run on fossil fuels.

Also read - BEST To Add 100 More Electric Buses To Its Fleet