Mumbai, April 1: With the arrival of summer, along with the sweat, the people of Maharashtra will have to shed more money for the electricity they would use, as the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) will hike the cost of electricity by 3% for every unit.

Tata Power and Adani Electricity — which cater to Mumbaikars only — will increase the price by 2% and 1% respectively from April 1. However, the rates for south Mumbai residents are expected to get slashed by three per cent as it is controlled by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST). Jharkhand Cabinet Led by CM Raghubar Das Approves 2.77-acre Land for Adani Power

As per to the estimate MSEDCL supplies power to more than 2.5 crores residential, commercial and industrial consumers in the state. Adding on, the power supply company provides electricity to Kanjurmarg, Bhandup and Mulund in Mumbai suburbs and the rest of the state, including metropolitan areas of Kalyan, Thane and Navi Mumbai.

The hike comes into effect after the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) approved the rise for the state discom of per unit cost of electricity by three per cent in September 2018. With this hike, the state discom aims to meet losses of more than Rs 20,000 crore.

Briefing more, the official at state power department said that the hike had become necessary to purchase adequate power to meet the increasing demand. Adding on the official said that though MSEDCL supplies nearly 18,000 megawatts (MW) power to the state, the demand during the peak summer goes up to 24,000MW. Kerala Govt Moves High Court Against Handing Over Thiruvananthapuram Airport to Adani.

According to the data, as published by the Hindustan Times, MERC approved 2% hike for TATA Power which provides electricity to more than seven lakh residents in Mumbai. Adani Electricity, which caters to 27 lakh residents, will hike its rates by 1% and while BEST – supplies power to around 10 lakh consumers primarily in south Mumbai – is expected to slash its prices.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 01, 2019 06:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).