The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided not to implement an electricity tariff revision for the first quarter of 2026 due to the failure of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to submit a formal tariff revision proposal within the due time. 

The Commission said it reached this decision after considering the following factors: the failure to submit a formal proposal before the specified time, the defects in the original proposal, and the disadvantages of a high percentage change in tariffs if a revision is implemented for the remaining short period of the quarter, even if the CEB submits a new proposal for this quarter.

Issuing a statement today, the Commission said it had informed the CEB in a letter in October last year to submit the tariff revision proposal for the period from January to March 2026 by November 14, 2025. 

However, the CEB had submitted its proposal for the first quarter of 2026 on December 29, 2025. Due to the errors in the proposal, the Commission said it informed the CEB on January 05, 2026, to submit a proper proposal before January 08, 2026. 

The statement further said that the CEB informed the Commission on January 08, 2026, that there would be further delay in submitting the corrected proposal. 

The PUCSL said it has not received a revised proposal so far, and after receiving the proposal, it can only be implemented for the last period of the first quarter of 2026 after review and public consultations. 

The PUCSL further said that it has been observed that adjusting for changes in income and expenditure for a short period of the quarter can result in electricity tariffs changing by a relatively high percentage and that this can have a more adverse impact on the national economy.

“After considering the adverse impact on the economy of not submitting a valid tariff revision on time and implementing a tariff revision for a short period of the quarter, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka decided not to implement an electricity tariff revision for the first quarter.” 

The Commission has also directed the CEB to submit the electricity tariff revision proposal for the second quarter of 2026 on or before February 13, 2026.