Electricity Prices In Bengaluru Rise This Month: How Much More Your Bills Will Cost From May?

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has approved price revision of electricity bills in Bengaluru effective from this month, as the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) seeks to recover a revenue gap of around ₹2.06 crore for FY25. What this mean for customers is that your power bill is set to rise and you will pay an additional 56 paise per unit from May 2026.

This also comes after BESCOM already revised electricity cost upwards by 10 paise in March this year, to 95 paise/unit.

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Notably, electricity price in Chamundeshwari in Karnataka is also set to rise by 15 paise/unit as the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) seeks to recover deficit of ₹12 lakh.

How will the revenue recovery be implemented?

Instead of a lump sum recovery, the company is looking spread out the difference through a“true-up” adjustment, as per a Business Standard report.

Thus, your power bills will now show additional charge of 56 paise/unit for electricity used in 2024-25, across installments (12 months) during 2026-27 (FY27), under the head“FY25 true-up charges”, it added.

How much more will you as a customer pay?

For ordinary users, your electricity bill is still calculated based on your usage units. Thus, for consumption of 250 units per month, the additional 56 paise charge will add ₹140 to your bill for the month. (250 x 56 / 100) For 12 months this is about ₹1,680 (140 x 12).

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Most households consume between 100-200 units each month, with means on average your monthly additional expense can be between ₹56-112. Over 12 months that works out to ₹672-1,344.

Why was the hike approved?

According to a report by Deccan Herald, BESCOM officials are looking to reduce the gap between projected and actual financial performance. A senior official told the paper that electricity companies function on estimated costs and revenues from KERC, however actual performance could exceed or fall short due to electricity patterns, tariff adjustments, input costs and other operational reasons.

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Officials called the true-up charges“necessary” to close the gap. As per reports, BESCOM reported substantial revenue gaps in FY25, against sales revenue of about ₹34,084 crore, it collected around ₹32,019 crore.

What can you do to reduce usage?

Sometimes, it is the appliances on standby that consume electricity even when they're switched off and increase your power bills. This includes the TV in the guest room, the printer that's always plugged in“just in case,” and the coffee maker that stays ready for early morning coffee. Known as“vampire devices”, these idle electronics stay connected to Wi-Fi or simply keep internal circuits active.

While one gadget barely makes a difference adding up dozens of plug-ins can push the cost to noticeable levels - adding anywhere between ₹300– ₹1,000 a year to your bill. Here's what you can do:

A quick sweep every month of which devices are plugged in and haven't been in weeks. Run fewer appliances and have a simple checklist for devices (TVs, chargers, kitchen appliances, and gaming gear) to unplug before bed or when leaving home.

Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. We advise you to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.

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