OERC to Determine Power Tariff for FY 2026-27 amid Concerns over Consumer Protection and Alleged Excess Collections

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) will determine the retail electricity tariff for Financial Year 2026-27 after a thorough prudence check of the Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) proposals submitted by power distribution companies, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo informed the State Assembly on Wednesday.

Responding to a question from MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak on measures to safeguard domestic, agricultural, and small consumers from repeated tariff hike proposals by discoms, the Deputy CM emphasized that tariff fixation is exclusively handled by the OERC under Sections 61 to 65 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

The Commission is currently scrutinizing the ARR filings and will finalize the tariff only after taking public objections and suggestions into consideration, Singh Deo said, assuring members that domestic, agricultural, and small consumers continue to benefit from cross-subsidization, which keeps their tariffs relatively lower.

The statement comes a day after the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) launched a sharp attack on the OERC, accusing it of an “apathetic attitude” toward ensuring affordable and uninterrupted power supply despite three decades of power sector reforms initiated in 1993–94.