Ranchi, Aug. 27: Come September, residents of Jamshedpur, Adityapur and Seraikela-Kharsawan will have to pay more for power, with the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC) agreeing to a moderate hike in energy rates for Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company Limited (Jusco).

As per the new tariff, which comes into effective from the first of next month, domestic consumers will have to pay Rs 1.50 per unit instead of Rs.1.35 per unit. In addition, they will be required to pay Rs 25 per month, up from the current Rs 20, as fixed charges.

Energy charges for commercial establishments at Rs 3.50 per month have been left untouched though fixed charges have been hiked from Rs 60 to Rs 75 a month. Industrial units will have to pay an increased fixed charge of Rs 330 per KVA per month, up from Rs 300 per KVA per month. Energy rates for the units have been hiked from Rs 4 to Rs 4.35 per unit.

The revised energy tariff announced for Jusco will bring its rates on a par with that of Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB). Energy rates to be charged by JSEB had been revised by the commission on April 26 this year.

“A parity in energy rates was sought between the two power providers. However, the area served by JSEB is much larger — a major part of the state — compared to that of Jusco, which mainly serves Adityapur, Jamshedpur and Seraikela-Kharsawan district, where it is the second distribution licensee. In addition, Jusco does not have its own generating facility and derives power from Tata Power and DVC unlike JSEB that generates power at its Patratu thermal plant,” JSERC chairman Mukhtiyar Singh said.