Electricity users across Assam should prepare for higher monthly utility expenses starting from November. The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission has sanctioned a proposal submitted by the state power distribution utility to recover approximately Rs 155.59 crore in deferred Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment Surcharge. The recovery period spans five consecutive billing months, concluding in March 2027.
Regulatory relaxations granted after flood disruptions
The pending collection stems from fluctuating power procurement and transmission expenses accumulated between April and August 2026. Under the standard framework of the Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment Regulations 2024, the surcharge from any given month is typically collected two months later. Under that timeline, April dues were scheduled for June, May dues for July, and August charges for October. However, extreme weather disruptions and severe flooding across the state created operational obstacles, preventing timely collection through the standard cycles.
Citing these force majeure conditions, the utility sought specific regulatory exemptions to collect the accumulated dues before the close of the current financial year. The commission accepted the explanation and granted the necessary procedural adjustments.
Monthly breakdown of the deferred recovery schedule
The distribution licensee confirmed that shifting supply and transmission costs produced an outstanding balance of nearly Rs 156 crore over the five-month span, excluding supplementary billing adjustments. The approved recovery strategy applies a proposed surcharge rate of 3.81 per cent per month to retrieve the total sum of Rs 155.59 crore.
The scheduled financial recovery is structured across the five target months as follows
- November accounts for Rs 40.07 crore.
- December will see a collection of Rs 30.95 crore.
- January 2027 is slated for Rs 28.97 crore.
- February brings a projected recovery of Rs 29.36 crore.
- March 2027 will conclude the staggered plan with Rs 26.23 crore.
Protective surcharge cap for low-consumption homes
The regulatory authority highlighted that standard monthly surcharges becoming due from September 2026 onward will also be levied concurrently, adding to total billing pressure. To shield economically vulnerable households from sharp price spikes, the utility structured a protective cap. Under this measure, beneficiaries in the Jeevan Dhara category and Domestic-A households consuming no more than 120 units each month will face a surcharge capped strictly at Rs 0.05 per unit. Consumers in all other tariff brackets will pay the standard applicable surcharge rates under the approved mechanism.
