FUEL TARIFFS
The Energy Regulatory Commission approves the 4.91 per cent increase in power bills for the January-April round, as fuel tariffs is raised by 14.85 satang per unit to 92.55. Electricity charges will then rise from Bt3.02 per unit to Bt3.17.
Commission chairman Direk Lawansiri attributed the increase to the natural gas price, which rose Bt22 per million BTU to Bt251.24, as well as the diesel cost which rises Bt0.56 per litre to Bt15.64.
Despite the increase, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) still has to shoulder a 2.37 satang per unit gap between the fuel tariff and the actual cost. As this would generate additional cost of Bt1 billion to Egat, the state agency's combined subsidy for electricity charges will rise to Bt20.97 billion.
Direk said that if Egat is to clear the burden, the combined subsidy must be factored into the fuel tariff which could push the tariff to 44.57 and the electricity charges to Bt21 per unit.
"The burden would be added up in the fuel tariffs in the next round when fuel costs are likely to fall," he said.
