Chandigarh: JERC dismisses petition against change of power load category

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 25

The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has dismissed a petition filed by a private firm against the UT Electricity Department for charging of electric vehicles under the non-residential supply (NRS) category.

In a petition filed before the JERC, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd stated it had set up a captive charging station, which was exclusively used for the charging of electric buses (40 numbers), hired by the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU).

The petitioner commenced operations on July 31, 2022, and the charging station for e-buses at the maintenance depot at ISBT 17/43 was connected at 11kV voltage level, and had a separate meter since September 20, 2022. The space for the maintenance depot has been provided by the CTU.

The petitioner is, inter-alia, the operator and the maintenance contractor of e-buses for the CTU. In terms of the agreement, the petitioner has established charging infrastructure for e-buses at Depot No. 3, Sector 25, Chandigarh, which was handed over to the petitioner by the CTU on April 29, 2022. The electricity connection for the charging stations has been provided by the CTU, and the bill for the same is borne and paid by the petitioner.

The use and the purpose of electricity clearly answers the tariff category of EV charging station; and therefore, the petitioner was charged a tariff of Rs 3.60/kWh as against Rs 4.50/kWh as determined by the commission for the HT commercial category.

It has been informed that the GM, CTU Workshop, Depot-Ill, Sector 25, had applied one electricity connection for bus charging station for the site and the same was released on September 20, 2022, under the NRS category.

The said connection was billed under EV tariff from November 2021 to October 2022. Further, the consumer was served a notice regarding re-classification in the tariff category and accordingly, the tariff category was re-classified to NRS from November 2021 as the said connection was being used for charging of buses and not for public charging station.

The difference of amount due to change in tariff category has been deposited by the consumer and NRS tariff is being levied on the said connection. The petitioner requested the commission to determine the tariff in accordance with the provisions of this Electricity Act

The Engineering Department revealed the said connection was also used for supply of electricity in various offices of the CTU, besides other activities such as workshop etc.

The contention of the respondent is not refuted/confronted by the petitioner rather, it has accepted during hearing that miniscule use of electricity is being made for the offices, workshop etc. In view of the above, the commission said the petitioner was correctly charged under the NRS (non-residential supply) category, and disposed of the petition.

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