Govt urged to cut power tariff

Summer energy costs are anticipated to rise.

Govt urged to cut power tariff

The Consumers Council (TCC ) is urging the government to temporarily reduce the energy tax that is used to determine energy bills in an effort to lessen the burden on families during the hot summer months, when require typically rises.

The Energy Regulatory Commission ( ERC ), which determines electricity bills, made the request after the ERC suggested three potential adjustments to the current power rate, none of which, in the opinion of critics, would lead to lower electricity bills for households.

In truth, they claimed that the ERC’s proposed modifications were primarily intended to narrow or eliminate the obligations owed to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand for keeping the price of energy in search through different grants.

There should be a solution that works for the people, especially during the summer months, when energy bills normally rise because more people use fans and air conditioners.

The government should lower the fuel tariff rather than cap the fuel tariff ( Ft ), which is a component of the power tariff that accounts for fluctuations in the prices of the fuel needed for electricity generation, in order to lower electricity bills more effectively, according to TCC.

It urged the government to reduce the energy tax between May and August this year from 4.18 baht per kilowatt-hour to 3.99 ringgit per kilowatt-hour.

If the Ministry of Energy approves the improved production of natural oil in the Gulf of Thailand, bringing more of the production into line with the production of electricity, TCC president Boonyuen Siritham believes the Feet may be slashed.

TCC also called on the ERC to allow Egat to import liquefied natural gas ( LNG ) for energy production, instead of relying solely on the LNG supplied by PTT Plc, the country’s energy conglomerate.

A member of TCC’s sub- committee on public services, energy and the environment, Rosana Tositrakul, also urged the government to negotiate a new agreement that would allow Thailand to borrow Malaysia’s quota for natural gas production in the shared joint development area ( JDA ) for two to three years.

Malaysia has in the recent borrowed Thailand’s oil quota to fulfill its regional demands, she noted.

TCC even urged local government to implement better incentives to encourage more people to install solar panels at homes, according to Ms Rosana.