Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has announced yet another upward revision in its fuel surcharge, leaving electricity consumers to shoulder an additional financial burden in September. The public utility has confirmed that it will collect 10 paise more per unit next month, citing increased liabilities that arose in July.
According to KSEB’s official clarification, the company incurred an additional liability of ₹26.28 crore during July due to fluctuations in power purchase costs. This surcharge recovery mechanism, commonly known as the Fuel Surcharge Adjustment (FSA), is passed on to consumers in the following billing cycle. The utility emphasized that the hike is a regulatory requirement meant to bridge the gap between actual power purchase costs and projected expenses.
In comparison, consumers in August were charged nine paise per unit for monthly billers and eight paise per unit for bimonthly billers, meaning the September adjustment will hit households and businesses slightly harder. Though a marginal rise in absolute terms, consumer groups have warned that frequent revisions add up to a significant strain on families already grappling with rising living costs.
Energy analysts note that Kerala’s heavy dependence on external power purchases especially during monsoon fluctuations when hydropower output is unpredictable makes such surcharge adjustments inevitable. Still, critics argue that the lack of long-term planning and over-reliance on costly imports are forcing ordinary citizens to repeatedly absorb the shock of mounting liabilities.
The September increase, while modest, revives the debate on whether surcharge-linked billing should be streamlined to avoid frequent, month-to-month surprises for consumers. With electricity forming a backbone of Kerala’s household and industrial economy, even a 10-paise hike per unit could have ripple effects on production costs, small businesses, and domestic budgets.
For now, consumers will have to brace themselves for higher bills in September, with the likelihood that further adjustments may follow depending on fuel price trends and power procurement costs in the coming months.