Residents of apartments and group houses may have to shell out more for common facilities such as sewage treatment plant and RO plant on their premises as the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) is issuing notices to the owners of these buildings, asking them to change the power supply connection to these facilities to commercial tariff.

K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said that in a communication last month, the Tangedco had asked its field officials to ensure that electricity connection to sewage treatment plant, RO plant, and firefighting system in apartments and group houses should be changed from domestic to commercial tariff. “We strongly oppose it since it is demanded after four years of tariff order and it is not practically possible to change to commercial service whenever the licensee says so,” he said.

According to the tariff order of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission, dated August 11, 2017, the common supply under Low Tension tariff IA (domestic) shall be applicable for supply to lighting, water supply and lift provided to the residents of multi tenements / residential complexes. Other than the above, the common supply used for gymnasium, community hall, etc., inside the multi-tenement / residential complex shall be classified under commercial tariff.

The Tangedco claims now that as per the TNERC order, water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, and fire hydration system are added under Tariff V in LT Billing software. Mr. Kathirmathiyon said the TNERC had only asked the licensee to evolve a proposal with the details of the number of services obtained for water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant and fire hydration system and submit it at the time of filing of petition for determination of tariff.

The fire fighting equipment, sewage treatment plant and water treatment plant in residential complexes are used only by the residents and are not used for commercial purpose. The residents of completed projects face several challenges in converting the supply connections to different tariff categories every time there is a change. Hence, the TNERC should intervene in this issue, he said.

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Printable version | Apr 25, 2022 12:08:11 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/tangedco-to-collect-commercial-tariff-for-stps-ro-plants-in-apartments-and-group-houses/article37964292.ece