Uproar in U.P. over 10% fuel surcharge on electricity bills

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) created an uproar in the State by announcing a 10% surcharge on electricity bills on Saturday, May 30, 2026. The “fuel and energy purchase regulation surcharge” linked to transmission charges will be valid from the June billing period and will require consumers to pay an additional 10% based on their electricity consumption.

Pankaj Saxena, Chief Engineer, Regulatory Affairs Unit (RAU), in a letter dated May 29, informed that the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has issued new guidelines for electricity distribution under the Multi-Annual Tariff (MYT) framework. He stated that the fuel surcharge will be calculated starting from March 2026, with the additional costs applied in June.

In the letter, “According to the Regulation, the Fuel and Energy Purchase Adjustment Surcharge (FPPAS) calculated for the month of March 2026 will be collected in June 2026. The FPPAS fee is 10% for the month of March 2026 and will be collected in June 2026. I have been instructed to request that you apply the same for all consumer categories in accordance with the provision of the Regulation.”

‘A new burden on the people’

The Congress termed the decision as a failure of the State government and added that the myth of false assurance has been busted. Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said: “During the peak summer season, disruption in electricity supply causes serious disruptions in daily life, economic activities, agricultural needs of villages and other essential services. With the collapse of the state’s power system, the claim of ’24 hours electricity’ has also collapsed. Amidst the adverse situation, the new burden of 10% fuel surcharge on the public is the failure of the BJP government.” party.

“Such a decision should be withdrawn immediately and effective measures to increase electricity supply, power supply through the Union government should be put in place to ensure the convenience of the people,” he said.

Samajwadi Party (SP) criticized the surcharge and added that the Power Ministry should immediately improve its accountability. “All-day power outages, all-night cuts and on top of that, an increase in the cost of electricity for a common man. This is a ridiculous administration. The people are already experiencing severe power outages and unannounced power outages during scorching heat, on top of which the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has dealt a fresh blow with a 10 per cent hike in power bills. UP Power Corporation and the BJP government promised ‘cheap and uninterrupted’ SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’ said, “we have proven that power outages are a complete failure.”