The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) says measures would be taken to levy a surcharge or interrupt the power supply for the consumers who are yet to settle their electricity bills.

Joining Ada Derana’s BIG FOCUS program earlier today, the PUCSL chairman Janaka Ratnayake said a directive in this regard would be issued tomorrow.

The unsettled bills of the consumers of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) amount to the tune of Rs. 50 billion, Mr. Ratnayake explained.

The PUCSL chairman also spoke of the plans to import furnace oil and diesel required by the CEB for a period of 45 days.

The amount of hydroelectricity added to the national grid has now dropped to 25 percent as the capacity of reservoirs associated with hydropower plants has fallen to 47 percent.

The electricity regulator has accordingly recommended reducing the hydropower generation by 50 percent, for the time being, he added.

The shortage of power that will be created by reducing hydropower generation is expected to be fulfilled through thermal power plants and privately-owned generators.

However, the CEB noted that this plan would be successful only if adequate amounts of fuel were available for the functioning of all thermal power plants without interruption.

The national electricity demand was recorded at 2,596 MW last night. Thermal power stations have fulfilled 71% of this remand, while 25% was met by hydropower plants.

Meanwhile, the Kelanitissa Power Station and privately-owned Sojitz Power Plant still remain inoperative. Further, small-scale power plants owned by the CEB in Matugama, Kolonnawa and Thulhiriya have also halted operations due to the lack of diesel.