Sri Lanka currently has the highest electricity charges in South Asia, with households paying 2.5 to 3 times more for electricity than the average price paid by households in other South Asian countries, according to analysis that was published this week.

Published on PublicFinance.lk, Sri Lanka’s premier economic insights platform, this analysis by Verité Research looked at what households are charged for their electricity when consuming 100, 200 or 300 units, at the start of 2024.

The calculation only took into account the charges of the supplier, and did not include government taxes such as the Social Security Levy, which is charged additionally in Sri Lanka.

The second highest household electricity charges in the region are in Pakistan; yet they are far less than in Sri Lanka. Households consuming 100 units are charged 50% more in Sri Lanka than Pakistan; and those consuming 300 units are charged 97% more in Sri Lanka.

Increases in Sri Lanka’s electricity charges have come in the wake of a commitment made by Sri Lanka on its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, that Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will recover its full costs from the combination of charges levied on consumers, and any subsidies received from the Treasury. 

A tariff decrease is planned for this month (February 2024) which would reduce the electricity charges by 4% or less. That decrease is too small to have a material impact. Sri Lankan households will continue to pay the highest prices for electricity, by far, in the South Asian region.