The Jammu and Kashmir government has confirmed a hike in domestic electricity tariffs, with metered consumers facing an increase of up to 25 paise per unit and fixed-charge consumers paying ₹2 more per kW per month, according to a reply tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, 29 September. The disclosure came in response to a question raised by MLA Mehraj Malik, with the Omar Abdullah-led administration providing a slab-wise tariff comparison against 2023-24 rates.

New Tariff Slabs at a Glance

Consumers using up to 200 units per month will now pay ₹2.45 per unit, up from ₹2.30 previously. Those in the 201–400 unit bracket will be charged ₹4.20 per unit, compared to ₹4 earlier. For consumption exceeding 400 units, the rate has risen from ₹4.35 to ₹4.60 per unit. The fixed charge on contracted load has also been revised upward, from ₹8 to ₹10 per kW per month.

Notably, Below Poverty Line (BPL) consumers using up to 30 units a month have been exempted from any increase — their tariff remains unchanged at ₹1.40 per unit, with the fixed charge holding steady at ₹5 per kW per month. This carve-out is significant given J&K's large low-income rural consumer base.

Power Cuts and the Demand-Supply Gap

The government clarified that electricity supply schedules are not governed by the tariff order. Instead, power supply is regulated through the Load Curtailment Programme managed by the distribution companies. Outages, the reply stated, are primarily driven by the demand-supply gap — particularly acute during peak summer and winter months — as well as maintenance and breakdown-related restoration work.

According to the government's response, around 714 feeders have already been designated as 24/7 feeders, with more being added progressively. This comes amid persistent consumer complaints about power cuts even in areas where smart meters have been installed.

Smart Metering and Billing Grievances

Approximately 66 per cent of J&K's consumer base has been covered under the smart metering rollout, which the government said has reduced manual intervention in meter reading. Bills are now generated through actual meter readings or, for flat-rate consumers, on the basis of sanctioned load.

On complaints of inflated electricity bills, the administration said the billing system has been fully automated. Grievances related to mismatches between bills and actual meter readings are addressed after field verification by the distribution companies (DISCOMs). Consumers can also lodge complaints at subdivision offices, through a toll-free helpline, or via the online Consumer Grievance Portal.

PM Surya Ghar Scheme and Solar Push

The government also highlighted the PM Surya Ghar scheme, under which eligible residential consumers in J&K can access combined Central and state government subsidies for rooftop solar installations. The subsidy ranges from ₹36,000 for a 1-kW system to ₹94,800 for systems of 3 kW and 5 kW capacity. The stated aim is to reduce upfront costs for households and lower recurring electricity bills through solar generation.

Transformer Transport Expenditure

The assembly reply also revealed that ₹20.71 lakh was spent on the mechanical transportation of distribution transformers during 2024-25, and ₹16.36 lakh during 2025-26. No expenditure was reported on the loading, unloading, or installation of distribution transformers in either year, according to the official figures.

With tariff hikes now on record and smart metering coverage still short of universal, the pressure on the J&K government to demonstrate tangible improvement in power supply reliability is set to intensify in the coming months.