Mussoorie, April 1 -- The Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC) on Tuesday announced that power tariffs will remain unchanged for the financial year 2026-27 despite significant pressure from state power utilities seeking a steep hike, bringing relief for electricity consumers across the state. Officials said the commission retained the existing tariff structure approved for FY 2025-26 while introducing several rationalisation measures aimed at benefiting key sectors and improving efficiency. Secretary of UERC, Neeraj Sati, said the commission has not revised the fixed and demand charges across all consumer categories. "The Commission has not changed the existing fixed and demand charges across all consumer categories and has retained the existing tariff approved for FY 2025-26 with certain tariff rationalisation for key sectors, including agriculture and the hospitality industry," Sati said. He said under the revised provisions, hotels and restaurants will receive relief during the off-season. If their maximum demand during an off-season month remains below 10% of the contracted demand, the fixed charges will be reduced to 10% of the normal rate. However, if demand exceeds that threshold, the standard rate schedule will apply. The move has received mixed reactions from stakeholders. Secretary of the Mussoorie Hotel Association, Ajay Bhargav, welcomed the decision but sought greater relief. "We welcome the move, but 10% relief is very less and it should be increased to 50% so that hoteliers can sustain during the off-season when tourist inflow is low," Bhargav said. For the agricultural sector, private tubewell consumers will now shift to a quarterly billing cycle, though their payment schedules will remain unchanged. UERC has also provided incentives for large industrial consumers by increasing the voltage rebate to 4.5% for 33 kV supply and 8% for 132 kV supply and above. The continuous supply surcharge has been reduced from 15% to 7.5%, officials said. The commission has also introduced incentives for industrial consumers by raising the load factor slab from 40% to 50%. Consumption beyond 50% load factor will now be billed at a reduced rate of Rs.6.60 per kVAh, down from Rs.6.85 per kVAh....