Double tariff hike for people living in apartments

CHENNAI: Consumers living in the apartments would be facing a double tariff hike with the TNERC increasing the domestic tariff and creating a new high tariff category of common services in the apartments.

As per the tariff order, the common services like lighting, water pump, lifts, sewerage treatment plant, water treatment plant, swimming pool and fire hydrant facility would fall under the tariff category I-D. The common service connection would be charged Rs 8 per unit and a fixed charge of Rs 100 per kilowatt per month.

Till now, the common service connections like lighting, water pump and lifts would be billed under the domestic service connections. In case of swimming pools, gym, water treatment plant and sewerage plant falls under the commercial tariff category.

With the tariff hike, the consumers living in the apartments are likely to see their maintenance charges going up. R Vinothkumar, a resident of Madipakkam said that he was paying a maintenance charge of Rs 500 per month. “ Rs 3,000 collected from six flats was sufficient to pay the monthly salary for the maid and electricity charge. We were paying about Rs 600 for the consumption of 300-350 units. Now we will be forced to pay Rs 2,700 to Rs 3000 as electricity charge. But the hike in electricity charges would result in an increase in maintenance, ” he said.

Interestingly, the Tangedco which has compared the tariffs of other states to justify the steep hike proposal has done what other states have not done. States like Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and New Delhi are charging the common facilities at the apartments and residential complexes under the domestic tariff category.