Power tariff for rural subscribers raised by 6.5pc

Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) yesterday increased the rate of electricity by 6.57 percent on average for the subscribers of Rural Electrification Board (REB).
The new rate will come into effect from December 1, 2009. The BERC announced it at a press conference at its office yesterday.
BERC Chairman Syed Yusuf Hossain said the rates in the household category have been increased by 3.0 percent for 0-25 units, 4.50 percent for 0-100 units, 9.50 percent for 101-300 units, 9.90 percent for 301-500 units and 13 percent for 500 units and above.
He said under the commercial users' category the rates of electricity have been increased by 9.90 percent. The rates were not increased for the charity organisations and irrigation, he added.
He said the minimum charge for general and heavy industries was increased to Tk 45 per kilowatt and Tk 55 per kilowatt respectively which were previously Tk 40 per kilowatt and Tk 50 per kilowatt.
The minimum charge for lampposts have been fixed at Tk 230 from its previous rate of Tk 225-Tk 230, the chairman said.
The service charge for household users was fixed at Tk 6 from its previous rate of Tk 5, he said, adding that such charge for general industries was fixed at Tk 65 from its previous rate of Tk 60 and for the heavy industries it is Tk 360, up from its previous Tk 350.
The demand charge for the household users was increased to Tk 12 from its previous rate of Tk 10, he said.
"The REB will make a profit of Tk 178 crore in a year due to price hike of the electricity," BERC chairman said.
Earlier, on December 17, 2008, the REB asked the BERC to increase the rate of electricity. On receiving the proposal the BERC held public hearings and decided to increase the consumption rates, he added.