Who APERC is
The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission is the state electricity regulator. It is a statutory body, independent of both the distribution utilities it regulates and the state government, established during the electricity sector reforms of the late 1990s that unbundled the old State Electricity Board into separate generation, transmission and distribution companies.
Its powers today come from the Electricity Act, 2003. Among other functions, the Commission determines the tariffs at which electricity is supplied to consumers, specifies the terms and conditions for that determination, sets standards of performance for licensees, and hears certain consumer grievances. The important consequence for you is that a DISCOM cannot raise your rate on its own initiative.
- Section 61 sets out the principles the Commission must follow — recovering costs reasonably, safeguarding consumer interests, rewarding efficiency, promoting renewables.
- Section 62 gives the Commission the power to determine tariffs for supply and transmission.
- Section 64 lays down the procedure, including the requirement to publish an application and consider objections before issuing an order.
- Section 65 covers the situation where the state government wants to subsidise a category, and requires it to pay that subsidy in advance.
The annual cycle
Tariffs are revisited every financial year on a broadly predictable schedule.
- Filing. The distribution companies submit an Aggregate Revenue Requirement for the coming year — their forecast of what it will cost to buy, transmit and distribute power, plus permitted returns — alongside proposed retail tariffs and their expected revenue.
- Scrutiny and public notice. The Commission examines the filing for completeness and consistency with its regulations, then publishes it so that consumers can see what is being asked for.
- Objections. Consumers, industry associations, farmer bodies and other stakeholders file written objections and suggestions within the notified window. Anyone affected may participate; this is the formal opportunity for public input.
- Public hearings. The Commission holds hearings at which objectors and the utilities are heard on the record.
- Tariff order. The Commission issues a reasoned order determining the category-wise tariffs and other charges, along with the date from which they take effect.
- True-up. After the year ends, actual costs and revenues are reconciled against what was approved, and the difference is dealt with in a later order.
Orders normally take effect from the start of the financial year in April, though the exact effective date is stated in each order. The LT schedule bundled with this site is the FY 2026-27 schedule effective 25 March 2026.
What is inside a tariff order
Tariff orders are long documents, but the part most consumers need is the retail supply tariff schedule at the back. It is organised by category and, for each one, specifies:
- The category definition — precisely which consumers and which end uses belong in it. This matters more than people expect, and is where disputes usually originate.
- Energy charges, either as telescopic slabs or as a flat rate per unit.
- Fixed or demand charges per kW, kVA or HP, and how load is to be reckoned.
- Customer charges, and minimum monthly charges where they apply.
- Time-of-day rate adjustments, with the peak and off-peak hours spelled out.
- Conditions attached to any free or concessional entitlement.
A separate schedule of miscellaneous and other charges covers items that are not per-unit: delayed payment surcharge, reconnection charges, meter testing fees, application registration fees, resealing charges, and grid support charges for consumers who run captive or rooftop generation in parallel with the grid. The Other Charges tab on this site reproduces that schedule for FY 2026-27.
Why rates change from year to year
Retail tariffs are downstream of the cost of supplying electricity, and several parts of that cost move independently of anything a DISCOM controls.
- Power purchase cost. Buying electricity from generators is by far the largest line in a DISCOM’s costs, and it shifts with fuel prices, plant availability and the contracted generation mix.
- Demand growth and mix. More consumption, and a different balance between subsidised and full-tariff categories, changes the revenue a given tariff raises.
- Network costs. Transmission and distribution charges, capital investment and permitted returns feed into the requirement.
- Losses. Distribution losses that the Commission does not accept as reasonable are not passed through, which is one of the levers the regulator uses to push for efficiency.
- Fuel and power purchase cost adjustment. Volatile fuel and market power costs are handled through a periodic adjustment mechanism rather than by reopening the annual tariff, so a charge of this kind can appear between tariff orders.
- Subsidy. Where the state government notifies a subsidy for a category, that changes what the consumer pays without necessarily changing the underlying determined tariff.
- True-up. Reconciling an earlier year’s approved figures with actuals can add to or reduce a later year’s requirement.
A useful mental model
The tariff order decides how a large, mostly externally driven cost is shared between consumer categories. Arguments during the public process are usually less about the total and more about who carries which share of it.
How to verify a rate yourself
- Note the exact category code printed on your electricity bill.
- Open the current retail supply tariff order for the relevant financial year on the APERC website and go to the LT schedule.
- Find your category and read the energy, fixed and customer charge entries, along with any conditions or minimum charge.
- Confirm the effective date of the order covers your billing period — rates that changed mid-cycle apply from the date stated in the order, not from the date you noticed.
- Compare against what this site shows. Where they differ, the tariff order is authoritative and this site is not.
That last point is not a formality. This site is an independent tool that reproduces a published schedule for convenience, and schedules are amended. If a rate here disagrees with the order, or with your bill, treat the official document as correct — and please tell us, so the discrepancy can be fixed.
Frequently asked questions
Can my DISCOM change my tariff by itself?
No. Retail tariffs for supply in Andhra Pradesh are determined by APERC through a public process, and DISCOMs bill according to the schedule the Commission approves. Charges of a different kind, such as statutory duties, arise separately.
Can ordinary consumers take part in the tariff process?
Yes. Filings are published and any affected person can submit written objections within the notified window and be heard at the public hearings. Individual consumers, associations and interest groups all participate.
Do all three AP DISCOMs charge the same rates?
Retail tariffs are determined category-wise for the state, so a domestic consumer in APEPDCL territory faces the same schedule as one in APSPDCL or APCPDCL territory. What differs between DISCOMs is service administration — offices, portals, helplines and payment channels.