The Ministry of Power has issued the draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2026.
The draft amendments introduce provisions relating to demand response, timelines for new and modified electricity connections, abnormal billing review, time-of-day tariffs, rooftop solar billing arrangements and consumer grievance redressal. A key proposal is the introduction of a demand response framework under which state commissions will specify eligibility criteria for demand response providers, incentives for participating consumers, communication protocols and procedures for measurement, verification and financial settlement. The draft also revises timelines for release or modification of connections, requiring supply within three days in metropolitan and municipal corporation areas, seven days in other municipal areas and fifteen days in rural areas, with a higher limit of thirty days for hilly rural areas. In addition, distribution licensees will be required to identify abnormal consumption patterns in billing cycles and resolve such cases within thirty days, while no disconnection will be allowed if the consumer continues to pay on the basis of average consumption until the issue is resolved. The amendments further mandate implementation of time-of-day tariffs for commercial and industrial consumers with demand above 10 kW by April 1, 2027.