Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) on Monday announced that electricity tariffs will remain unchanged for both domestic and commercial consumers in the 2025-26 fiscal year. This decision marks the fourth consecutive year without any power tariff hike in the state.
In a relief to consumers, the OERC has completely waived the Rs 60 monthly smart meter rent for households with a connected load of up to 2 kW, a move that will benefit approximately 60 lakh consumers across the state.
The regulatory body has also extended its 4% rebate for consumers who make digital payments, continuing its push for cashless transactions.
Additionally, new time-of-day rebates have been introduced: consumers with a connected load of 10 kW or more will receive a 20 paise per unit rebate for usage between 8 AM and 4 PM, and a 30 paise per unit rebate for consumption between 6 PM and midnight.
OERC Secretary Priyabrata Patnaik clarified that the state has not seen any power tariff increase since 2021-22. Last year, the commission had actually reduced tariffs by 10 paise per unit for domestic consumers. These measures collectively aim to ease the financial burden on consumers while promoting energy efficiency and digital payments.