Electricity tariffs to be reduced from midnight today

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has approved the revision of electricity tariffs with effect from midnight today (04). The overall tariff reduction is 21.9 percent, the PUCSL said. 

PUCSL chairman Prof. Manjula Fernando annoucend this during a press briefing held in Colombo today (04) to deliver its decision on the electricity tariff reduction proposal mooted recently by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

He said the final decision was reached after studying and reviewed the proposals and cost data submitted by the CEB in this tariff revision, in accordance with the provisions of Section 30 of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009 and the provisions of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka. 

The CEB had proposed to reduce tariffs by 3.4 percent last January and then by 16 percent in a revised proposal presented on February 22. The commission said it decided to reduce the electricity tariffs by 21.9 percent, considering suggestions made during the public consultation and reviews that carried out by the PUCSL of the cost data submitted by the CEB. 

According to this tariff revision which will be effective from midnight today, maximum relief has been provided to all consumer categories. Tariffs have been reduced by 33 percent for consumers who consume less than 30 units of electricity in the domestic sector, he said. 

Accordingly, the bills of electricity consumers with monthly consumption between 61 and 90 units will be reduced by 30 percent. Those who belong to the category between more than 90 units and less than 180 units will get a 24 percent reduction while 18 percent reduction is given for those who belong to the category of more than 180 units. The PUCSL has decided to reduce the tariffs by 33 percent for religious places. 

The tariff for the general-purpose consumer category will be reduced by 23 percent and by 22 percent for government institutions. Also, the tariffs have been reduced by 18 percent for hotel and industry sectors and by 20 percent for street lamps.

According to the new tariff revision, the monthly fixed charge of consumers who use less than 30 units will be reduced from 180 to 150 rupees. The unit price they pay has been reduced from Rs 12 to Rs 8. 

The monthly charged of Rs. 360 has been reduced to Rs. 300 for the consumers who are between 31 and 60 units, and the unit price for that category has been reduced from 30 to 20 rupees. 

The manner in which the monthly fee and unit fee have been reduced for domestic categories is given below:

The condition has also been imposed on CEB to pay the due payments and arrears of interest to owners of renewable power plants, including roof-mounted solar power plants, before the 31st of this month. 

The PUCSL has also imposed conditions on the CEB to prepare plans to achieve the target renewable electricity generation by 2030 and submit them before June 30.

Along with the implementation of this tariff revision, the PUCSL has also imposed 13 other conditions to be implemented by the CEB.