Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar announced on Sunday that electricity tariffs in Andhra Pradesh are set to decrease by 13 paise per unit. This reduction comes after a directive from the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC), which has instructed power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to return ‘true-down’ charges amounting to ₹924 crore to residential customers. These adjustments will be reflected in monthly electricity bills starting from November.
Mr. Ravi Kumar highlighted that this tariff cut would significantly lighten the financial load on households, hinting at the possibility of further relief measures in the future. He attributed the success of this rollback to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, acknowledging his extensive expertise in managing the energy sector. Critiquing the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) administration, the Minister claimed they had increased tariffs nine times. He reminded the public that Andhra Pradesh was self-sufficient in power in 2019, but the state’s utilities subsequently faced a deficit. Despite having ample generation capacity at key facilities like the Dr. Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station (NTTPS) and Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (SDSTPS), the YSRCP government allegedly opted for expensive power acquisitions from other states.
Furthermore, the Minister contended that the YSRCP’s decision to cancel renewable Power Purchase Agreements resulted in an approximate ₹9,000 crore loss to the state’s treasury. Conversely, he asserted that the current TDP-led government has bolstered the two thermal power stations and substantially reduced reliance on costly short-term power purchases, dropping it from 17% to just 6.8%. He clarified that power is now only sourced from states like Rajasthan and Haryana when absolutely essential.