Major reduction in electricity bill

27% reduction for domestic users

30% reduction for religious places

25% reduction for hotels and industries

Overall reduction 22.5%

PUCSL Chairman Prof. Manjula Fernando and other members at the media conference yesterday.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) yesterday announced that the total electricity tariff was reduced by 22.5 percent from midnight yesterday (15).

Reduced electricity charges for all the five categories – domestic, religious, industries, hotels and general purposes – are effective from midnight yesterday.

PUCSL Chairman Prof. Manjula Fernando made these remarks while addressing the media at the PUCSL auditorium yesterday.

The decision to reduce the electricity tariff was taken after studying the proposal presented by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) for the second revision of electricity tariffs this year and after taking into consideration the suggestions and opinions presented during the public consultations held in this regard by the PUCSL.

Accordingly, the average electricity tariff reduction of domestic, religious places, industries, hotels and general purposes is 22.5 percent in general.

This electricity tariff reduction of all consumer categories like industries, public utilities and government institutions is effective from midnight yesterday, the Chairman noted.

“Although the CEB’s resolution had limited the overall reduction in electricity tariff to 10 percent, the commission increased the overall reduction rate to 22.5 percent,” the Chairman added. Accordingly, the domestic sector is entitled to a 27 percent reduction in electricity charges. Also electricity charges are reduced by 30 percent for religious places.

Meanwhile electricity charges are reduced by 25 percent for hotels and the industrial sector. Also, measures have been taken to reduce the electricity bills of public works and government institutions at a significant amount.

For categories with low electricity consumption such as religious places, the unit price of both Rs. 8 and Rs. 9 have been decreased to Rs. 6. Besides, the unit price of Rs. 18 was decreased to Rs. 10, the unit price of Rs. 32 was decreased to Rs. 20 and the unit price of Rs. 43 was decreased to Rs. 30. Monthly fixed charges have also been reduced for all electricity usage categories of religious places.

Besides, the PUCSL has decided to reduce the unit price of Rs. 37 to Rs 30.50 for the sub-category of electricity usage less than 42 units per month in the factories and hotels category.  The monthly fixed charges applicable to those two categories of customers have not been revised.

In the revision of the new rates, the unit prices of the government institutions and general purpose departments, Rs. 55, Rs. 45 and Rs. 37 have been reduced to Rs. 46.75, Rs 38.25 and Rs. 31.45 respectively.

Along with the new tariff revision, the PUCSL has imposed seven conditions on the CEB. Among the conditions are that printed electricity bills should be issued when requested by electricity consumers. Also, conditions have been imposed to take steps to enter into agreements with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation in the purchase of fuel for electricity generation.

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