Government Schemes

KSEB Power Purchase Petition: What OP 42/2026 Means

By FGE Solar Editorial Team··Updated 30 Oct 2026·9 min read

Your evening bill already feels heavy, and KSEB wants to spend ₹336 crore more on electricity. KSERC decided the KSEB power purchase petition (OP 42/2026) on 29 October 2026 and approved ₹131.26 crore of it. This page sets out what the petition asks for, what KSERC's last order on the same kind of buying already settled, and what a solar home can do now.

Checked22 Oct 2026
Updated30 Oct 2026
StatusKSERC order issued 29 Oct 2026: ₹131.26 crore approved for November 2026 to March 2027
Primary sourceKSERC order OP 42/2026 (29 Oct 2026)
KSEB power purchase petition and Kerala's evening electricity demand

Quick answer: Nothing changes on your bill yet. KSEB asked KSERC to approve ₹336.246 crore of short-term power (OP 42/2026). In its order of 29 October 2026, KSERC approved ₹131.26 crore for November 2026 to March 2027, 164.16 million units at about ₹8 a unit, mostly for midnight to 5 am, and rejected the April 2027 offers. The order approves buying power; it sets no new bill charge. Shift heavy loads into solar hours.

What KSEB's published petition (OP 42/2026) asks for

Confirmed. KSERC has published the petition as OP 42/2026, dated 14 October 2026 (petition PDF).

  • KSEB asks to buy ₹336.246 crore of short-term power through the DEEP e-bidding portal, from 1 October 2026 to 30 April 2027, under Regulation 78 of the KSERC Tariff Regulations 2021.
  • The reasons given are a weak monsoon, low reservoir inflows and higher peak-hour demand. KSEB expects a shortfall of about 1,200–1,500 MW in March and April 2027.
  • The rate limits are under ₹10 a unit up to February 2027 and up to ₹13.89 a unit for March and April 2027.
  • KSEB's directors approved the petition on 25 September 2026.

Mathrubhumi English (1 October 2026) describes the same plan as 32 short-term agreements totalling ₹336.25 crore. The Times of India (21 October 2026) reported quoted rates from ₹6.99 to ₹13.89 per unit, depending on the month and time of day.

Kerala Kaumudi (17 October 2026) reports that KSERC will hear the petition on 22 October. KSERC's order confirms the hearing was held on 22 October 2026.

What KSERC decided on 29 October 2026

KSERC heard the petition on 22 October 2026 and issued its order on 29 October 2026. KSEB had asked to buy 356.63 million units for ₹336.25 crore, at an average of ₹9.43 a unit. KSERC approved 164.16 million units for ₹131.26 crore, at about ₹8 a unit, for November 2026 to March 2027 (paragraph 34). It rejected the April 2027 purchases because the quantities offered were very small and the rates excessively high (paragraph 33). It said this approval is to tide over the present power situation and must not be treated as a precedent (paragraph 35).

MonthHoursApprovedRateCommitment
November 2026midnight to 5 am145 MW₹7.44 a unit₹16.18 crore
December 2026midnight to 8 am120 MW₹7.99 a unit₹23.78 crore
January 2027midnight to 5 am240 MW₹6.99 a unit₹26.00 crore
February 2027midnight to 5 am240 MW₹6.99 a unit₹23.49 crore
March 2027midnight to 5 am270 MW₹9.98 to ₹10.00 a unit₹41.81 crore
April 2027–rejected––
Total164.16 million unitsabout ₹8 a unit₹131.26 crore

KSERC also told KSEB to set a target of cutting peak demand by at least 500 MW in the coming summer months, to run awareness campaigns with the Energy Management Centre, and to plan incentives for consumers who cut peak use or shift it to solar hours (paragraphs 16 and 17).

What is officially confirmed about short-term power buying

KSERC has already ruled on one such request this year. In OP No. 39/2026, KSEB filed a petition on 17 August 2026 to buy short-term power through the central DEEP e-bidding portal for 1 September 2026 to 15 May 2027. KSERC heard it on 2 September and, in its order of 11 September, approved purchases for October 2026 to 15 May 2027 worth ₹347.79 crore, for 346.42 million units at ₹10.04 per unit (paragraphs 1, 6, 17 and 23).

The rule behind these petitions is Regulation 78 of KSERC's 2021 tariff regulations, quoted in that order. KSEB can buy extra short-term power when supply falls short, but if a quarter's power purchase cost rises more than 5% above the approved cost, it must get KSERC's approval by petition (Regulation 78(2)). Approval should be sought in advance where practicable, and KSERC can disallow purchases that break the rule from KSEB's revenue requirement (Regulation 78(5)).

KSERC did not approve everything. It rejected the proposed September 2026 purchases, including 100 MW for midnight to 5 am at ₹9.15 per unit, saying hydro and contracted power could meet that demand (paragraph 16(1)). It said the high-cost approval must not be treated as a precedent (paragraph 18), and told KSEB to reassess the power position by the middle of December 2026 (paragraph 22).

Will the KSEB power purchase cost reach your electricity bill?

The petition only asks for approval to buy the power. It does not ask for a separate charge on bills.

Not straight away, going by the last order. In OP 39/2026, KSEB said there was no mechanism to recover extra power purchase costs immediately and asked KSERC to approve a way to pass them on to consumers (paragraph 6(1)). KSERC replied that the whole ₹742.52 crore outlay could not be treated as an extra liability; only the increase over the approved cost, after counting extra sales revenue, could be assessed (paragraph 6(3)).

KSERC was also plain about where the money comes from. It worked out that this power would cost more than ₹9.90 per unit at Kerala's border and about ₹11 per unit at the consumer end, and said such costs ultimately have to be passed on to consumers through the tariff (paragraph 12). That order approved purchases; it did not change any tariff.

The bill line to watch is the fuel surcharge. Our guide to the KSEB fuel surcharge rules explains how changes in power costs are passed to bills through that line, how it is worked out, published and capped, and who is exempt.

Your energy and fixed charges stay as set in the current tariff order, listed in current KSEB domestic tariff slabs. A petition being filed or heard does not change either of them on its own. If KSERC later approves a recovery method, it has to say so in an order, and that order will be the thing to read.

How did KSERC decide KSEB's last request, month by month?

Approved commitments in KSERC's order of 11 September 2026 (OP 39/2026, paragraph 16):

MonthWhat KSERC approvedFinancial commitment
October 2026Peak-hour power, 63 MW, 6.30 pm to midnight₹14.99 crore
November 2026Peak-hour power, 6.30 pm to midnight₹37.30 crore
December 2026Peak-hour power, 6.30 pm to midnight₹61.47 crore
January 2027Peak-hour power, 295 MW from three bidders₹47.28 crore

The pattern is useful for reading the new petition. KSERC approved peak-hour power and turned down purchases it saw as poor value, so the figure in OP 42/2026 is what KSEB has asked for, not what it will be allowed to spend. The 29 October order followed the same pattern: KSERC approved ₹131.26 crore of the ₹336.246 crore asked for and turned down April 2027.

Why rooftop solar homes matter in Kerala's evening power gap

KSERC's order explains why this keeps happening. Peak demand in non-solar hours has risen 10% to 15% over last year, while the large number of rooftop solar plants is cutting daytime demand year after year (paragraph 13). So KSEB gives up some round-the-clock power by day and buys costly short-term power for the evening.

  • Run the washing machine and dishwasher in the daytime instead of the evening peak (paragraph 19).
  • Pump water and charge an EV in the daytime; see solar sizing for EV charging at home.
  • Cut induction cooker use during peak hours where you can.
  • Set air conditioners at a sensible temperature and switch off lights and fans you are not using.

For a solar home these steps line up with how your plant already works. Units you use while the sun is up are used at home before anything is exported, so moving loads into the day is the simplest change you can make; when to run appliances on solar power gives a room-by-room plan.

Evening use is the harder part, because the panels stop producing at sunset. If you are thinking about adding storage to carry some of that load, read battery rules for hybrid inverters first, and ask your installer to size it from your own bills rather than a rule of thumb.

A Kerala example: moving evening loads in a solar home

Picture a family in Kollam with a rooftop plant. Their bill shows most imported units fall after sunset, when the pump, washing machine and induction cooker all run. They move the pump and laundry to late morning, cook the main meal earlier on the induction hob, and charge the scooter at noon.

Their plant now covers more of those loads directly, and the evening import on the bill falls. This is an illustration, not a real customer or a promised saving. To see where your own units go, compare import and export on how import, export and banked units appear on a solar bill.

What this means for you now

  • Nothing on your bill changes because a petition has been filed or heard.
  • Keep your recent bills and note the fuel surcharge line each month.
  • Read KSERC's 29 October 2026 order if you want the month-by-month figures.
  • Shift pumping, laundry and charging into solar hours from this week.
  • Know your rights during outages; see what KSEB owes you for power cuts.
  • If a bill line looks wrong, ask your KSEB section office in writing.

KSERC decided the petition on 29 October 2026; the approval covers November 2026 to March 2027.

Check this against your bill

FGE Solar can review your latest KSEB bill and tell you which system size is worth pricing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is KSEB's ₹336 crore power purchase petition?

KSERC has published the petition as OP 42/2026, dated 14 October 2026. KSEB asks to buy ₹336.246 crore of short-term power through the DEEP e-bidding portal from 1 October 2026 to 30 April 2027, under Regulation 78 of the KSERC Tariff Regulations 2021. KSERC decided it on 29 October 2026 and approved ₹131.26 crore for November 2026 to March 2027.

Will my electricity bill go up because of this petition?

The petition only asks for approval to buy the power. It does not ask for a separate charge on bills. In its last order KSERC said such costs ultimately pass to consumers through tariff, after assessing only the increase over approved costs. Your present tariff stays as fixed in KSERC's current tariff order.

How much does this short-term power cost per unit?

The petition's rate limits are under ₹10 a unit up to February 2027 and up to ₹13.89 a unit for March and April 2027. For the earlier approval, KSERC put the total at ₹347.79 crore for 346.42 million units, or ₹10.04 per unit. It estimated about ₹11 per unit at the consumer end. KSERC's 29 October order approved 164.16 million units at about ₹8 a unit, from ₹6.99 to ₹10.00 depending on the month.

Why does KSEB need to buy power at night when so many homes have solar?

KSERC says rooftop solar is cutting daytime demand while peak-hour demand keeps rising, including midnight to 5 am and 6:30 pm to midnight. Solar does not generate after sunset, so the peak-hour gap is met with short-term purchases.

What can a solar home do to help during peak hours?

KSERC's order asks homes to move washing machines, dishwashers, water pumping and EV charging into the daytime. It also suggests less induction cooking at peak hours and sensible AC settings.

Official Sources and Accuracy Note

Accuracy note: This guide is built from government pages, regulator orders, and news sources on the web. Rules and amounts change. Some details may be outdated or wrong. Check the official links below before you pay, apply, or complain to KSEB.