Bhubaneswar: In a major relief for consumers, the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) has kept retail electricity tariffs unchanged for all categories of consumers for the ensuing 2026-27 financial year.
This marks the fifth consecutive year without any increase in power rates, continuing the stability that began after the last revision in 2021-22, when an overall increase of 5.6 per cent (30 paise per unit) for all categories of consumers except BPL and irrigation was effected.
The OERC decided to keep tariffs despite earlier proposals from power utilities like GRIDCO and distribution companies for a hike of 58 paise per unit in bulk supply price due to revenue shortfalls.
To encourage digital payments and efficient energy usage, the OERC has decided to continue with a set of consumer-centric incentives. All pre-paid and low transmission (LT) domestic and single-phase general consumers paying their full bill online before the due date will receive a 4% rebate.
In a push towards paperless billing, the commission also announced Rs 10 discount on e-bills for anyone opting for electronic billing
Consumers with smart meters will benefit from a new time of day (ToD) structure with benefits in terms of percentage instead of money as was the case earlier. Power will be cheaper during solar hours (8 am to 4 pm) and consumers will get a rebate of 10%, which will come to around 58 paise per unit for contract demand of over 10 KW. Similarly, they have to pay 10% extra during peak evening hours (6 pm to 12 midnight). This aims to encourage shifting consumption to daytime when solar generation is high, helping balance the grid and promote renewable energy integration.
The OERC has further directed all DISCOMs (including TP Central, Northern, Southern, and Western Odisha Distribution Ltd.) to accelerate installation of smart meters at all 11 kV feeders and consumer premises. The move is expected to reduce technical and commercial losses, improve billing accuracy, and support better demand management.
In January, the state government had approved a Rs 735 crore one-time grant for the fiscal year 2025–26 to fund the statewide installation of smart prepaid meters under Mukhya Mantri Smart Bill Yojana (MMSBY)-Installation of Smart Meters Phase-I.
Additionally, a one-time claim scheme has been introduced for permanently disconnected consumers to simplify the process of reclaiming their old security deposits.
