Srinagar, August 22: Electricity consumers in Jammu and Kashmir will face revised power tariffs from September 1, 2026, after the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) approved the tariff schedule for the financial year 2026-27.
The overall tariff revision represents an average increase of 6.83 per cent. However, the increase is not uniform. The amount a consumer will pay depends on the category, consumption, sanctioned load and, in some cases, the voltage level and time of consumption.
The revised tariff will remain applicable from September 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027.
For ordinary domestic consumers, the biggest change is in the energy charge. The tariff has been fixed at Rs 2.45 per unit for consumption up to 200 units, Rs 4.20 per unit for 201-400 units and Rs 4.60 per unit for consumption above 400 units.
The domestic fixed charge has also increased from Rs 8 to Rs 10 per kW per month.
Domestic consumers
Consumer category| New tariff
Up to 200 units/month| Rs 2.45 per unit
201-400 units/month| Rs 4.20 per unit
Above 400 units/month| Rs 4.60 per unit
Fixed charge| Rs 10/kW/month
For comparison, the earlier domestic rates were Rs 2.30, Rs 4 and Rs 4.35 per unit respectively.
This means that a consumer using 200 units will have an energy charge of Rs 490, compared with Rs 460 earlier. At 300 units, the energy component will be Rs 910 compared with Rs 860 earlier. At 400 units, it will be Rs 1,330 compared with Rs 1,260 earlier. These calculations exclude fixed charges and other components that may appear on the final electricity bill.
BPL consumers
The tariff revision provides protection to eligible BPL consumers.
BPL category| Tariff
Consumption up to 30 units/month| Rs 1.40 per unit
Fixed charge| Rs 5
Thus, eligible BPL consumers within the prescribed consumption limit will not face an increase in the energy tariff.
Agricultural consumers
Agricultural consumers continue to receive substantially subsidised electricity rates.
Agricultural category| Energy charge| Fixed charge
Metered, up to 20 HP| Rs 1.05/unit| Rs 23/HP/month
Metered, above 20 HP| Rs 6.30/unit| Rs 47/HP/month
Commercial consumers
Commercial establishments will also see revised rates.
Commercial category| New tariff
Single-phase, up to 200 units| Rs 3.75/unit
Single-phase, above 200 units| Rs 5.70/unit
Three-phase| Rs 6.15/kVAh
Single-phase fixed charge| Rs 75/kW/month
Three-phase fixed charge| Rs 140/kVA/month
Industrial consumers
For industrial consumers, the tariff varies according to the supply arrangement and voltage level.
Industrial category| Energy charge
LT Industrial| Rs 4.60/kVAh
HT Industrial, 11 kV| Rs 4.50/kVAh
Power Intensive Industry, 11 kV| Rs 5.30/kVAh
Power Intensive Industry, 33 kV| Rs 5.25/kVAh
For HT industrial consumers at 11 kV, the demand charge has been fixed at Rs 184/kVA per month. Power Intensive Industries will have a demand charge of Rs 236/kVA per month.
The order also provides voltage-based benefits for certain industrial consumers. For industrial supply at 33 kV, the applicable energy charge is lower than the corresponding 11 kV rate, while consumers supplied at 66 kV and above receive further reductions.
Time-of-Day tariff
Another significant feature of the revised tariff is the Time-of-Day tariff for eligible consumers.
During peak hours, industrial and commercial consumers will face a 20 per cent surcharge, while other eligible consumers will face a 10 per cent surcharge.
During designated solar hours, eligible consumers will receive a 20 per cent rebate.
The ToD mechanism is intended to encourage consumers to shift electricity use away from periods of peak demand and towards solar-generation hours. Its applicability will depend on the availability of compatible metering and billing infrastructure.
Other important tariffs
Consumer/service| Tariff
Government departments/public services – LT| Rs 8.30/kVAh
EV charging stations – LT| Rs 7/kVAh
Green Power Tariff| Rs 0.50/kWh
Temporary connection| 1.5 times applicable category tariff
Railway traction, 11 kV| Rs 5.70/kVAh
For government departments and public services, the fixed charge is Rs 42/kVA per month for LT supply and Rs 110/kVA per month for HT supply.
For electric vehicle charging stations taking LT supply, the energy charge is Rs 7 per kVAh, with no demand charge. Charging of privately owned electric vehicles at residential premises will continue to be governed by the tariff applicable to the premises.
What does the 6.83% hike actually mean?
The 6.83 per cent figure is the average increase across the revised tariff structure. It does not mean that every consumer’s electricity bill will automatically rise by exactly 6.83 per cent.
For a domestic consumer, for instance, the energy tariff increase ranges from around 5 per cent to 6.5 per cent depending on the consumption slab, while the fixed charge has increased by 25 per cent.
The final bill will therefore depend on how much electricity is consumed, the consumer category, sanctioned load, fixed or demand charges and, where applicable, the time at which electricity is consumed.
Why has JERC revised the tariff?
The Commission has approved an Aggregate Revenue Requirement of Rs 5,095.82 crore for JPDCL and Rs 5,179.90 crore for KPDCL for 2026-27.
Revenue at the existing tariff was assessed at Rs 3,952.97 crore for JPDCL and Rs 3,399.91 crore for KPDCL, leaving substantial revenue gaps.
The Commission has also taken into account Rs 2,420.78 crore in tariff-related subsidy support committed by the Jammu and Kashmir Government.
JERC has retained distribution-loss targets of 15 per cent for JPDCL and 19 per cent for KPDCL, while stressing that distribution inefficiencies should not simply be passed on to consumers.
In simple terms, the new tariff means that households, shops and industries will generally pay more for electricity from September 1, but the actual increase will vary considerably by category and consumption.
For an ordinary household, the three figures to remember are Rs 2.45 per unit up to 200 units, Rs 4.20 per unit for 201-400 units and Rs 4.60 per unit above 400 units, along with a fixed charge of Rs 10 per kW per month.
