Domestic users in the CESC area who consume up to 250 units of power a month will have to pay less, beginning April 1, 2005.

Power has become cheaper for this consumption bracket, following the new computing system announced on Thursday by West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission in the tariff order of CESC for 2005-06.

The electricity bill will, however, bloat for the domestic consumer in the 250 units-plus category.

?Despite sharp increase in coal prices, CESC?s tariff is down this year by 22 paise per unit. In two years, CESC?s tariff has come down by 34 paise per unit and is now down to 2000-01 levels,? said managing director Sumantra Banerjee.

The average tariff of CESC has dropped from Rs 4.03 a unit in 2004-05 to Rs 3.81 a unit. The utility had sought an average tariff of Rs 4.14 a unit for 2005-06.

The commission has replaced the flat system of computing tariff by the slab. Earlier, if a user consumed 60 units of power, he would pay at a flat rate of Rs 2.45 paise a unit. Now, he will have to pay the first 25 units at Rs 2.08 per unit and the next 35 units at Rs 2.64 per unit (see box).

On an average, a household consumes 200 units of power during the summer months. Going by the new tariff, the monthly bill will be Rs 725.90, against Rs 760 in 2004-05.

For the weakest section consuming 25 units or less, there will be a special rebate of two per cent on the electricity bill.

There is also a significant slash in the power bills of the Metro Rail and Calcutta Tramways, with the rate sliding from Rs 4.55 a unit to Rs 3.96 a unit. The tariff for private educational institutions and hospitals has climbed down to Rs 3.87 a unit from Rs 3.95 a unit.

From April 1, WBSEB will sell power to CESC at Rs 2.53 a unit, against Rs 2.69 a unit in 2004-05.