Chennai: With Tamil Nadu facing a power shortage, the state power utility has proposed levying an additional surcharge of 63 paise per unit on electricity purchased from the open market by high-tension (HT) consumers.
The proposed levy is planned for a six-month period from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. Details have been released and public feedback has been invited, which has drawn sharp reactions from industrial users.
HT consumers procure electricity not only from the utility but also through power exchanges, using the utility’s transmission network to wheel the power. For this, they already pay an average wheeling charge of about Rs 1 per unit, along with a cross-subsidy surcharge of Rs 1.92 per unit.
The utility has moved the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission seeking approval for the additional 63 paise surcharge. The proposal comes amid higher demand—reported at around 20,000 MW this year versus an average requirement of 16,000 MW—and recent power cuts of up to an hour in some weeks due to supply constraints.
Industry representatives said the move would add to cost pressures at a time when businesses are already affected by disruptions linked to the West Asia conflict, and urged the utility to withdraw the proposal.
