Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) has increased the sanctioned electricity load of around 46.68 lakh consumers through its billing software, allegedly without issuing prior notices, triggering questions over compliance with the Electricity Supply Code, 2025, and the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (UPERC) latest tariff order.The revision was carried out on Thursday, the day when UPERC issued the tariff order for 2026-27. Clause 6.9(B)(v) of the Electricity Supply Code (Fifth Amendment), 2005, states that if a consumer exceeds the contracted demand continuously for the previous three months, the discom must issue a one-month notice advising the consumer to enhance the contracted load before revising it.The latest tariff order also reiterates that consumers should be informed with complete details if their sanctioned load is revised after the utility observes that their maximum demand exceeded the sanctioned limit at least three times during a financial year.According to an official statement issued by director (commercial), UPPCL, Prashant Kumar Verma, the sanctioned electricity load of 46.68 lakh consumers has been automatically updated based on their highest recorded monthly electricity demand during the financial year.“As part of this exercise, the sanctioned load of these consumers has been increased by a cumulative 3,654 MW. This initiative is intended to ensure that consumers have access to electricity capacity that matches their actual usage requirements, eliminating the need to apply separately for a load enhancement,” the statement read.“Under the current tariff order, consumers are informed after their sanctioned load has been revised. Previously, UPPCL was required to issue a notice before increasing the sanctioned load. Consumers are being notified of the revised load through SMS,” he claimed.The move is also expected to boost UPPCL’s fixed charge revenue. Domestic consumers are charged a fixed fee of Rs 110 per kW of sanctioned load every month. Based on the additional connected load of 36.54 lakh kW, the revision is estimated to generate around Rs 40 crore in additional monthly revenue through fixed charges alone, excluding any increase in energy consumption charges.The Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad (UPRVUP) questioned the move, arguing that if UPPCL is increasing sanctioned loads, it should also proportionately strengthen the state’s electricity infrastructure to support the higher demand.The consumer body pointed to data showing that Uttar Pradesh’s 480 substations of 132 kVA have a combined sanctioned transformation capacity of around 6.25 crore kW, while the state’s 3.73 crore electricity consumers account for a connected load of about 8.57 crore kW. “The widening gap between system capacity and connected demand raises concerns over the adequacy of the distribution network. UPPCL should expand its infrastructure in line with the growing consumer load,” said UPRVUP chairman Avadhesh Kumar Verma.
