[14th
June 2023] In exercise of the powers
conferred under sub-section (1), clause (z) of sub-section (2) of section 176
of the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003), the Central Government hereby makes
the following rules, further to amend the Electricity (Rights of Consumers)
Rules, 2020, namely:- (1)
These rules may be called the Electricity
(Rights of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2023. (2)
They shall come into force on the date of
their publication in the Official Gazette. "(5)
All types of smart meters shall be read
remotely at least once in a day and the other pre-payment meters shall be read
by an authorised representative of the distribution licensee at least once in
every three months and the data regarding energy consumption shall be made
available to the consumer, through website or mobile application or Short Message
Service and the like, provided that the consumers having smart pre-payment
meters shall also be given the data access for checking their consumption and
balance amount atleast on daily basis. (5A)
After the installation of smart meters,
no penalty shall be imposed on the consumer, based on the maximum demand
recorded by the smart meter, for the period before the installation date. (5B)
In case maximum demand recorded by the
smart meter exceeds the Sanctioned Load in a month, the bill, for that billing
cycle, shall be calculated based on the actual recorded maximum demand and
consumers shall be informed of this change in calculation through Short Message
Service or mobile application: Provided that the revision
of the Sanctioned Load, if any, based on the actual recorded maximum demand
shall be as under: (a)
in case of increase in recorded maximum
demand, the lowest of the monthly maximum demand, where the recorded maximum
demand has exceeded the sanctioned load limit atleast three times during a
financial year, shall be considered as the revised Sanctioned Load, and the
same shall be automatically reset from the billing cycle in next financial
year; and (b)
in case of reduction of maximum demand, the
revision of sanctioned load shall be done in accordance with the Supply codes/
Standard Operating Procedures issued by the respective Regulatory Commission. (8A)
Time of Day Tariff.-The Time of Day
tariff for Commercial and Industrial consumers having maximum demand more than
ten Kilowatt shall be made effective from a date not later than 1st April, 2024
and for other consumers except agricultural consumers, the Time of Day tariff
shall be made effective not later than 1st April, 2025 and a Time of Day tariff
shall be made effective immediately after installation of smart meters, for the
consumers with smart meters: Provided that, the Time of
Day Tariff specified by the State Commission for Commercial and Industrial consumers
during peak period of the day shall not be less than 1.20 times the normal
tariff and for other consumers, it shall not be less than 1.10 times the normal
tariff: Provided further that,
tariff for solar hours of the day, specified by the State Commission shall be
atleast twenty percent less than the normal tariff for that category of
consumers: Provided also that the Time
of Day Tariff shall be applicable on energy charge component of the normal
tariff: Provided also that the
duration of peak hours shall not be more than solar hours as notified by the
State Commission or State Load Despatch Centre. Explanation:- For the
purposes of this rule, the expression "solar hours" means the
duration of eight hours in a day as specified by the State Commission. (8B)
Display of Tariff.-The tariff for each
category of consumers shall be displayed on distribution licensees website and
consumers shall be notified of change in tariff excluding fuel surcharge and
other charges, at least one month ahead of time, through distribution licensees
website as well as through energy bills or Short Message Service or Mobile
Application and the like."Electricity
(Rights Of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2023
In the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) rules, 2020 (hereinafter referred to
as the principal rules), in rule 5, for sub-rule (5), the following sub-rule
shall be substituted, namely: -
In the principal rules, after rule 8, the following rules shall be inserted,
namely:-