Calcutta, Feb. 29: CESC consumers will pay 10 paise more for every unit of power in the bill they receive in March.

The State Electricity Regulatory Commission has ordered the “provisional” hike with effect from February, a senior CESC official said.

If a consumer has paid Rs 1,000 in February, he will have to pay Rs 20 more in March for the same amount of power.

The power utility said the hike had become necessary to offset the increase in the price of coal from December. The Centre regulates the price.

“However, this is an interim order subject to adjustments during the commission’s annual tariff announcement in May or June,” the official said.

“The CESC tariff is lower than that in Mumbai by over a rupee and by 60 paise compared with Delhi,” he added.

Power department sources hinted at a possible hike across the state. “The price of coal has also affected us. We’ll soon apply to the commission for a hike in tariff in areas supplied by state plants,” said West Bengal Power Development Corporation MD S. Mahapatra.