Big surprise for Malayalees; KSEB announces that money will be refunded

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSEB has announced that consumers will get a refund of the fuel surcharge in the month of March. This is the first time in history that an fuel surcharge is being reduced in the bill. KSEB announced this information through a Facebook post.

Full text of the post

KSEB consumers will get a refund of the fuel surcharge in the month of March. This marks the first time in KSEB history that a fuel surcharge reduction has been applied as a refund directly to the consumers. The reduction in the cost of electricity purchase in the month of January 2026 is being passed on to the consumers by KSEB. The fuel surcharge for the month of January has been calculated as (-)2 paise/unit due to the reduction in the cost approved by the Regulatory Commission for purchasing electricity from thermal power plants.

In the March bill, KSEB's monthly billing customers will get a reduction of 2 paise per unit and bi-monthly customers will get a reduction of 1 paise per unit. Fuel surcharge was also waived in February.

In accordance with the regulations of the Union Ministry of Power, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission had issued the KSERC Terms and Conditions of Tariff Amendment Regulations on May 29, 2023, amending Rule 87 of the Tariff Regulation. As per this, from April 2023, the distribution licensees have been allowed to pass on the variations in electricity prices due to fluctuations in fuel prices to the consumers on a monthly basis as fuel surcharge. Electricity Fuel Surcharge is being adopted as per this.