Public hearing on power tariff hike to begin Nov 28
They sought a hike in the bulk electricity tariff in the wake of the latest hike in the prices of gas in June this year, which included a 41 percent increase in the price of gas used in producing electricity
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has set the dates for public hearing for increasing electricity price at the wholesale and retail levels.
The public hearings will be held on four working days – November 28, December 1, December 2 and December 3.
The energy regulator has fixed the dates in response to applications from the Bangladesh Power Development Board and six distribution companies.
They sought a hike in the bulk electricity tariff in the wake of the latest hike in the prices of gas in June this year, which included a 41 percent increase in the price of gas used in producing electricity.
The Power Development Board claims that its expenditures for generating and purchasing electricity from gas-fired power plants would soar by Tk2,000 crore due to the increase in gas price.
The last electricity price revision happened on November 23, 2017, when the BERC had raised the price of each unit by Tk0.35, marking a 5.3 percent increase.
This was the eighth time this was done during the Bangladesh Awami League administration's second term in office since 2009.
Now 46.14 percent power is being generated from gas, 22.93 percent from furnace oil, 10.24 percent from diesel, and 2.84 percent from renewable sources. The remaining 5.44 percent is being imported, according to the Power Division data.