Dikhyaa Mohanty 
On Monday, the Odisha power Regulatory Commission (OERC) said that for the fiscal year 2025–2026, power rates for residential and business customers will not rise. With this move, the state has gone four years in a row without raising its electricity rates. About 60 lakh customers in the state would benefit from the OERC’s decision to fully waive the Rs 60 monthly smart meter cost for families with a connected load of up to 2 kW. In keeping with its push for cashless transactions, the regulatory authority has also extended its 4% refund for customers who pay digitally.
Customers with a connected load of 10 kW or more will also benefit from new time-of-day incentives, which include 20 paise per unit for use between 8 AM and 4 PM and 30 paise per unit for use between 6 PM and midnight. According to OERC Secretary Priyabrata Patnaik, there hasn’t been a power pricing hike in the state from 2021–2022. In fact, the commission lowered charges for domestic users by 10 paise per unit last year. Together, these policies seek to reduce consumer financial burdens while advancing digital payments and energy efficiency.
