The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (HPERC), on August 7, 2026, issued draft Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum and Ombudsman) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2026. The proposal seeks to amend the 2013 Regulations by replacing the existing Circle-level Additional Forums with Operation Zone-level Additional Forums, primarily in view of the low number of grievances being received and the need to reduce the financial burden on the Distribution Licensee.
Under the proposed amendment to Regulation 5, the Distribution Licensee would establish at least one Additional Forum for each Operation Zone. For consumers under single-part retail tariff, the Forum would handle all monetary and non-monetary complaints. For consumers under two-part retail tariff, it would handle such complaints where the disputed amount does not exceed ₹4 lakh and the standard supply voltage does not exceed 33 kV. Existing Circle-level Additional Forums would continue until completion of the term of their Independent Member, after which they would be abolished and pending grievances transferred as specified in the draft.
The draft also proposes an amendment to Regulation 7, increasing the prescribed period from 10 years to 20 years for the relevant qualification/experience requirement. The draft Regulations will be considered after 30 days from publication in the Rajpatra, Himachal Pradesh, and stakeholders may submit objections or suggestions to the Secretary, HPERC within this period.
[Notification No. HPERC-ED(T)/D(TE)/2026-1]
