SRINAGAR: Electricity consumers across Jammu and Kashmir will pay higher tariffs from Tuesday as the revised power tariff approved by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (JERC-JKL) comes into effect, along with the introduction of Time-of-Day (ToD) billing for larger consumers.
The commission has approved an average 6.83 per cent increase in retail electricity tariffs for the 2026-27 financial year. The revised rates will apply to electricity consumed between September 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027.
Under the revised tariff, metered domestic consumers will pay ₹2.45 per unit for monthly consumption up to 200 units, ₹4.20 per unit for consumption between 201 and 400 units, and ₹4.60 per unit for consumption above 400 units. The fixed charge has been revised to ₹10 per kW per month.
The tariff revision follows JERC’s assessment of the revenue requirements of the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) and Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL). The commission assessed the combined annual revenue requirement of the two utilities at ₹10,275.72 crore against projected revenue of ₹7,352.87 crore at existing tariff levels, leaving a gap of ₹2,922.85 crore.
According to the commission, bridging the entire deficit through consumer tariffs would have required an increase of around 40 per cent. Financial support of ₹2,420.78 crore committed by the Jammu and Kashmir government helped limit the average tariff increase to 6.83 per cent.
Alongside the revised tariff, the Union Territory has introduced Time-of-Day billing for consumers, excluding the agriculture sector, with a sanctioned load or contract demand exceeding 10 kW.
Under the new system, electricity charges will vary according to the time of consumption. Peak hours have been designated from 6 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 10 pm, while the period from 9 am to 5 pm has been classified as solar hours.
Residential consumers covered under the ToD system will pay a 10 per cent surcharge on energy charges during peak hours, while industrial and commercial consumers will face a 20 per cent surcharge. Consumption during solar hours will attract a 20 per cent rebate on the energy component of the bill.
The new billing mechanism is aimed at encouraging consumers to shift electricity use away from peak-demand periods and make greater use of daytime power availability. Smaller domestic consumers with sanctioned loads of up to 10 kW will not be covered under the ToD regime and will only be subject to the revised tariff rates.
The tariff hike and introduction of ToD billing have drawn criticism from opposition parties and consumer groups, particularly in view of earlier commitments regarding free electricity for households.
