This month, under the Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment (FPPCA) rule, there will be a 6 paise per unit increase in electricity bills. Over the past seven months, consumers have seen a reduction in electricity prices only once.
Continuous Adjustments by UPCL
For the past six months, the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) has been adjusting costs continuously. The FPPCA rule is applicable nationwide. Under this rule, any electricity that the energy corporation purchases from the market at a price higher than the rate set by the regulatory commission is added to the consumers’ bills in the following month. Previously, under FPPCA, there used to be slight increases in electricity prices every quarter.
In September, consumers received their first bill under the FPPCA rule, where they benefited from an 18 paise per unit reduction. Since then, electricity costs for consumers have consistently increased. However, the trend over the last three months shows a continuous decrease in FPPCA costs. For April, the increase is only 6 paise per unit, which will be reflected in the May electricity bills.
Monthly Savings or Increases due to FPPCA
| Month | Savings or Increase |
|---|---|
| October-23 | 18 paise per unit saved |
| November-23 | 26 paise per unit increased |
| December-23 | 48 paise per unit increased |
| January-24 | 33 paise per unit increased |
| February-24 | 50 paise per unit increased |
| March-24 | 16 paise per unit increased |
| April-24 | 6 paise per unit increased |
UPCL Management’s Challenge
The UPCL headquarters faces the challenge of keeping this FPPCA adjustment under control. There has been a continuous decrease over the past three months. UPCL’s MD, Anil Kumar, mentioned that since March and April, the FPPCA has been consistently decreasing. Their goal is to minimize electricity purchases as much as possible this month.