Government Rules Out Electricity Tariff Hike in June

Electricity consumers will not have to pay any hike in the electricity tariff in June as announced by the Power Division.

Officials said the price rise happened because of quick actions taken and more supply. The power division spokesperson stated they won’t adjust fuel prices. The increase of Rs 1.73 per unit will stay paused for now. This means consumers save Rs 5 to 6 per unit. They avoided extra costs from LNG shutdowns and expensive furnace oil. The division estimated that it saved consumers from a possible burden of Rs38 billion.

The electricity demand has decreased, their spokesperson said. This is due to a special relief package and better load management. More gas supplies and increased output from imported coal plants have raised production and reduced shortfalls. Authorities paid back Rs 65 billion to consumers as adjustments in the first quarter. This helped households save Rs 1.93 per unit as well as offset the monthly hike in fuel prices, officials said. Thus, many were offsetting prior gains from the quarterly change.

The Power Division said more relief is still available, even with tough conditions. They will not increase the reference tariff next month. Further, there will be a saving of approximately 20 paise per unit for consumers. Energy managers will keep getting the tools they need to balance supply and demand. They advised consumers to use electricity in a way that conserves resources. This helps keep the system stable. Authorities said they will keep the public informed of any changes on a regular basis.