The AP Electricity Regulatory Authority has fixed the power tariff hike at `941 crore for the financial year 2015-16, exempting domestic and other small-scale consumers from the hike if they consume less than 200 units.

From 201 units, they will have to pay 32 paisa more per unit, a hike of only 5 per cent, said Justice (rtd) Bhavani Prasad, chairman of the ERC, while announcing the tariff fixation. The new tariff will come into force from April 1.

“The two power utilities have proposed a hike to the tune of `1,261 crore. The commission, after going through them, revised and put it as `1,188 crore, out of which `247 crore was reduced by the commission.” said justice Prasad.

The commission’s decision to keep the rates unchanged for consumption up to 200 units was rather unexpected as the discoms had proposed marginal hikes of 16 paisa and 22 paisa per unit for the 51-100 unit and 101-200 unit slabs. But this was rejected by ERC.

Ninety-two per cent of domestic and small-scale consumers have been spared the hike.

“There are 1,55,00,000 consumers in AP and out of them 92 per cent are exempted and even for the remaining 8 per cent, the burden will be minimal i.e. just 5 per cent,” he added.