BERC to take decision on the power tariff hike at consumer level

Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will decide the price hike of electricity at the consumer level after examining the impact of the increased power price.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said this after visiting many areas under the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) on Thursday.
“The government is holding talks with many countries including Brunei, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to increase the country’s fuel supply. The government is trying to prevent load shedding in the next year. We hope, the load shedding will return to tolerable limit. However, there is no denying the impact of the global economic recession and the government will try its best to reduce public suffering,” he said.
Earlier on November 21, the State Minister said that the electricity price will not be increased at the retail level now though the bulk tariff has been adjusted upward by 19.92 per cent at the wholesale level.
“The new adjustment of power tariff will not be effective for the retail level consumers and it will be effective only for power distribution companies and some other bulk consumers,” he said on that day.
Most of the power distribution systems of the capital will be changed to the underground system, Nasrul Hamid said adding that the power distribution system in the Dhanmondi areas will be completely changed to the underground system within the next two to three years.
Besides, a large part of the power distribution system of Dhaka will be made underground system within five to six years, he added.
Earlier, the BERC fixed per unit of electricity price at Tk 6.20 at the bulk rate which will effect from December 1, 2022.
The power tariff was Tk 5.17 per unit. Besides, the BPDB appealed for reviewing the new tariff, but the BERC rejected it.
The last power tariff per unit in retail and bulk levels was raised on March 1, 2020.
The BPDB filed the review appeal to the BERC on November 14 within 30 working days after its proposal was rejected by the regulator on October 13.