Uproar in UP over 10% fuel surcharge on electricity bills

In a letter dated May 29, Pankaj Saxena, Chief Engineer, Regulatory Affairs Unit (RAU), informed that the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has issued new guidelines for distribution of electricity under Multi Year Tariff (MYT). | Photo credit: Reuters

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) on Saturday (May 30, 2026) announced a 10% surcharge on electricity bills, sparking an uproar in the state. A “Fuel and Power Purchase Surcharge,” linked to transmission charges, will be effective in the June billing cycle and will require consumers to pay an additional 10% based on their electricity usage.

In a letter dated May 29, Pankaj Saxena, Chief Engineer, Regulatory Affairs Unit (RAU), informed that the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has issued new guidelines for distribution of electricity under Multi Year Tariff (MYT). It said the fuel surcharge would be calculated from March 2026, with the additional cost applied in June.

“The Fuel and Power Purchase Adjustment Surcharge (FPPAS) calculated for the month of March 2026 as per the regulation is to be charged in the month of June 2026. The chargeable FPPAS charge is 10% for the month of March 2026 which will be charged in the month of June 2026. I have been directed to request you to read the consumer letter to implement the same regulation for all categories

“A new burden on ordinary people”

Calling the decision a failure of the state government, the Congress added that the myth of false assurances has been debunked. “During the peak summer season, power outages cause significant disruption to daily life, economic activities, agricultural needs of villages and other essential services. The claim of ’24-hour electricity’ has crumbled and the state’s power system has collapsed. Amid the adverse situation, the new burden of 10% additional fuel surcharge on the public is the failure of Opha Raja’s leader in the BJP government, Sabha Raja and a senior MP from the Congress party.

“Such a decision should be taken back immediately and effective measures should be put in place to increase electricity supply, power procurement through the Union Government to provide relief to the common people,” he said.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) criticized the surcharge and added that the power ministry should immediately rectify its responsibility. “Power outages all day, outages all night plus increase in cost of electricity to common man. This is ridiculous management. Public is already suffering from severe power shortage and unannounced power outage during scorching heat and on top of that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has dealt a new blow with 10% electricity bill, BJP company. ‘cheap and uninterrupted electricity’ has turned out to be a complete failure,” said Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’, SP spokesperson.

Published – 31 May 2026 10:44 IST