Consumers will face increased electricity bills from September to November due to an additional FPPCA fee caused by high open-market power costs. To manage the record-breaking peak demand of 20 gigawatts, the Energy Department plans to issue an advisory urging residents to stagger their appliance usage.
Consumers will pay extra for electricity over the coming three months as the Energy Department passes on the increased cost of power obtained from the open market to meet peak demand in September. N Shivashankara, Managing Director of Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM), stated that the Fuel Purchase Price Cost Adjustment (FPPCA) fee will be around 0.5 paise per unit from September to November. The fee appears in a separate column on power bills.
Shivashankara explained the rationale for the increased payment, stating that power is often acquired for Rs 6-6.15 per unit. However, due to a statewide demand increase in September, the department was forced to buy electricity from the open market at Rs 10 per unit. The additional cost is now being passed on to consumers in a phased manner.
Meanwhile, the Energy Department intends to release an advise encouraging residents to stagger their electricity usage to assist manage growing demand.
“Managing morning and evening peak loads has become a challenge. There is a need to shift the load. An advisory will be issued asking people to use washing machines, air conditioners and other major electrical appliances during non-peak hours. This will ensure a more even distribution of power consumption throughout the day,” a senior Energy Department official said. The authorities is also in talks with the Agriculture government to encourage farmers to avoid growing summer and water-intensive crops until the situation improves, according to the official.
The peak power demand for 2026-27 was recorded on September 11, at 20 gigawatts (20,000 MW). Last year, peak demand stood at 18,650 MW during the summer months.
According to Shivashankara, the system could handle an extra load of 2,000 MW in addition to a peak demand of 20,000 MW. After then, controlling demand may become challenging and would rely on the supply of electricity.
He said power usage also increased in October. Daily consumption has fluctuated between 340 and 360 million units (MU) during the last few days. On Saturday, October 17, consumption was 339 MU, while on Friday, October 16, it was 362 MU. On Sunday, October 18, it fell to 282 MU.
Meanwhile, Energy Department data show that around 1.3 lakh consumers out of the state’s 1.65 crore beneficiaries have opted out of the Gruha Jyothi guarantee scheme, one of the five guarantees introduced by the Congress government.