The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has hiked power prices again at both bulk and retail levels effective from September 1.
BERC Chairman Syed Yusuf Hossain told a press conference on September 20.
He said the “Power price at retail level has been hiked by 15 percent to Tk 5.75 from Tk 5 a unit while the tariff at bulk level has been increased by 17 percent to Tk 4.70 from Tk 4.02 a unit,” .
The BERC has also increased the number of tariff slabs to six from the existing three.
As per the BERC’s announcement, the new slabs will be effective for consumer using power from 0-75 units, 76-200 units, 201-300 units, 301-400, 401-600 units and above 600 units.
According to the new tariff, price for 0-75 units has been fixed at Tk 3.66 for Rural Electrification Board (REB) and at Tk 3.33 for other power distribution companies. For 76-200 units, the tariff has been fixed at Tk 4.37 for REB and Tk 4.73 for other companies.
For 201-300 units the price has been fixed at Tk 4.51 for REB and Tk 4.83 for other companies, for 301-400 units the price is Tk 7.10 for REB and Tk 4.93 for other companies, for 401-600 the rate is Tk 7.40 for REB and Tk 7.98 for other companies and above 600 units the rate is Tk 9.38 for REB and Tk 9.38 for other power
distribution companies.
The energy regulator has also decided to put in place six slabs for electric billing, by splitting the existing three, for household consumers.
The last time power prices were hiked was on March 29. Both bulk and retail power prices were hiked by Tk 0.28 and 0.30 per unit, respectively, effective from March 1.
The regulator had called a press briefing on July 26 to announce fresh hikes, but later postponed it without citing any reason.
The government has raised power tariffs on several times since it assumed the office in January 2009.
In June, the Power Development Board (PDB) had sent a proposal to the BERC, asking it to increase retail power prices by an average of 56 percent and bulk power prices by 50 percent per unit (each kilowatt hour).
On July 16, a mass hearing was held at the BERC over the proposal.
Source : EnergyBangla
