Chhattisgarh electricity tariff 2026-27: Domestic rates up 30-50 paise per unit
Synopsis
Chhattisgarh's electricity regulator has approved a 6.23% average tariff hike for 2026-27, far below the 24% the distribution company sought — but domestic consumers will still pay 30 to 50 paise more per unit. The Commission also slashed the claimed revenue deficit from ₹6,304 crore to ₹1,662 crore, a significant regulatory pushback that mainstream coverage has largely overlooked.
Key Takeaways
The Chhattisgarh Electricity Regulatory Commission approved new tariffs for 2026–27 on 15 June .
Domestic rates rise by 30 to 50 paise per unit ; non-domestic rates by 20 to 40 paise per unit .
The average billing rate is fixed at ₹6.71 per unit , against an average cost rate of ₹7.13 per unit .
The approved average hike is 6.23 per cent , well below the 24 per cent proposed by the distribution company.
The claimed revenue deficit of ₹6,304 crore was revised down to ₹1,662 crore after Commission scrutiny.
Farmers face a 40-paise-per-unit hike on agricultural pumps but receive a higher rebate of 40 per cent on non-subsidised connections, up from 30 per cent .
The Chhattisgarh Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved revised electricity tariffs for the 2026–27 financial year, raising domestic rates by 30 to 50 paise per unit and non-domestic rates by 20 to 40 paise per unit, effective from the current fiscal cycle. The decision, announced in Raipur on 15 June, is set to increase household and commercial power bills across the state.
Key Tariff Changes
The average billing rate for 2026–27 has been fixed at ₹6.71 per unit — 42 paise lower than the average cost rate of ₹7.13 per unit. Agricultural pump users will face a 40-paise-per-unit hike, though the Commission has cushioned the blow for farmers by raising the rebate on non-subsidised connections from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.
The electricity distribution company had originally sought a hike of 8.40 paise per unit — a proposed increase of 24 per cent. After regulatory scrutiny, the Commission approved a more restrained rise of 7.13 paise per unit, translating into an average increase of 6.23 per cent.
Revenue and Financial Adjustments
Commission members Vinod Ganodwale (Legal) and Ajay Kumar Singh (Technical), along with Secretary Surya Prakash Shukla, clarified that while the distribution company had projected electricity sales of 38,729 million units and an Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) of ₹32,520 crore, the Commission approved sales of 39,760 million units and a revised ARR of ₹28,348 crore.
The company had claimed a revenue deficit of ₹6,304 crore; the Commission's review trimmed this figure significantly to ₹1,662 crore — a reduction of over ₹4,600 crore.
Structural and Consumer-Side Changes
Beyond the rate hike, several structural adjustments have been introduced. Electricity tariffs for local body offices, student hostels in rural areas, and select public utilities have been reclassified under the domestic category, reducing costs for these institutions. Farmers retain approval to use lights and fans up to 100 watts near pumps for field-related needs.
Other revisions include a change in the delayed payment surcharge — from 1.5 per cent per month to 0.04 per cent per day — along with adjustments in rebates for prepaid meter consumers and the extension of electric vehicle charging tariffs to those opting for minus metering.
Impact on Consumers
This comes amid persistent concerns over the financial health of state electricity distribution companies nationally. The Commission has sought to balance consumer affordability with the distributor's financial sustainability, but the approved hike will nonetheless weigh on household budgets and farming costs across Chhattisgarh in the months ahead. Notably, this is the latest in a series of tariff revisions that state regulators across India have approved as discom losses continue to mount.
Point of View
304 crore to ₹1,662 crore. That gap raises legitimate questions about how discoms build their ARR projections and whether inflated deficit claims have become a negotiating tactic. For consumers, a 6.23% hike in a state where agricultural and domestic budgets are already stretched is not trivial. The structural shift of rural hostels and local body offices to the domestic tariff category is a small but sensible corrective — the kind of granular reform that rarely makes headlines but matters to real users.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new electricity tariffs in Chhattisgarh for 2026-27?
The Chhattisgarh Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved domestic tariff hikes of 30 to 50 paise per unit and non-domestic hikes of 20 to 40 paise per unit for 2026-27. The average billing rate has been set at ₹6.71 per unit, reflecting an overall average increase of 6.23 per cent.
Why did the electricity regulator approve a lower hike than proposed?
The distribution company had sought a hike of 8.40 paise per unit — equivalent to a 24 per cent increase — citing a revenue deficit of ₹6,304 crore. After scrutiny, the Commission approved a rise of 7.13 paise per unit and revised the deficit down to ₹1,662 crore, resulting in the more modest 6.23 per cent average increase.
How will the new tariff affect farmers in Chhattisgarh?
Agricultural pump users will face a 40-paise-per-unit increase in electricity costs. However, the Commission has raised the rebate on non-subsidised connections for farmers from 30 per cent to 40 per cent to partially offset the impact. Farmers also retain the right to use lights and fans up to 100 watts near pumps for field-related needs.
What structural changes have been introduced alongside the tariff hike?
Local body offices, student hostels in rural areas, and certain public utilities have been reclassified under the domestic tariff category, lowering their electricity costs. The delayed payment surcharge has also been revised from 1.5 per cent per month to 0.04 per cent per day, and electric vehicle charging tariffs have been extended to minus metering consumers.
When do the new Chhattisgarh electricity tariffs come into effect?
The new tariffs are applicable for the 2026–27 financial year, as announced by the Chhattisgarh Electricity Regulatory Commission on 15 June 2026.
