Rajasthan electricity rates unchanged for 2026-27; EV charging fixed charge abolished

Rajasthan: The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has issued tariff orders for 2026-27 for all three state electricity distribution companies — Jaipur, Ajmer and Jodhpur discoms. The new tariff took effect from April 1.

Basic domestic electricity rates have been kept unchanged. Consumers using up to 50 units will continue to pay Rs 4.75 per unit, those consuming between 51 and 150 units will pay Rs 6 per unit, between 151 and 500 units at Rs 7 per unit, and above 500 units at Rs 7.50 per unit. Fixed charges for domestic consumers also remain the same.

However, a regulatory surcharge will continue to be levied to recover old discom losses — at Rs 0.70 per unit for consumers using up to 100 units and Rs 1 per unit for all other consumers. A cross-subsidy surcharge of Rs 1.48 per unit will apply to open access consumers, along with an additional surcharge of Rs 0.50 per unit. Consumers opting for green energy will pay an extra Rs 0.05 per unit over and above the standard rate.

In a significant move to promote electric vehicles, RERC has for the first time abolished the fixed charge on EV charging stations. Until now, these connections attracted a fixed charge of up to Rs 150 per KVA. The energy rate for EV charging stations has been set at Rs 6 per unit with no fixed charge, which is expected to reduce operating costs for charging station operators and benefit EV users directly.

Consumers with a load above 10 kilowatts will continue to face Time of Day (TOD) pricing: an additional 5 per cent charge between 6 AM and 8 AM, a 10 per cent discount between 12 PM and 4 PM, and an additional 10 per cent charge between 6 PM and 10 PM. Street light connections have been exempted from TOD rules, reducing costs for urban local bodies.

For medium industry consumers, the electricity rate has been reduced from Rs 6.30 per unit to Rs 6 per unit, a relief of 30 paise per unit. Large industry consumers will pay Rs 6.50 per unit with a fixed charge of Rs 380 per KVA. The rate for mixed load (commercial and others) has been set at Rs 7.50 per unit. Consumers drawing power at higher voltages will receive a discount of 3 to 5 per cent. Wheeling charges have been set between Rs 0.01 and Rs 1.93 per unit depending on voltage level.

Consumers with demand exceeding 50 KVA who need to shift from HT to LT supply will now be allowed to do so up to three times, increased from the earlier limit of two. After that, they will be required to install their own transformer. The net billing arrangement for rooftop solar consumers has also been continued.

RERC has advised the government to clear the accumulated discom deficit within seven years through a dedicated monitoring mechanism, with surcharge revenue earmarked solely for reducing losses. The commission also recommended timely subsidy payments to discoms, formation of a task force, reduction of interest on UDAY scheme loans, introduction of a load improvement scheme for farmers, and additional support to Jodhpur discom.