Power price won’t go up at retail level now: Nasrul

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said electricity price will not be increased at the retail level now though the bulk tariff has been adjusted upward by 19.92 percent at distribution 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.

Nasrul said this while talking to reporters at the secretariat, reports Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. 

The junior minister said the BERC announced the new adjustment through holding public hearings and scrutinising oil and fuel prices in the global situation.

“The BERC announced the new tariff as oil and gas prices went up in the international market due to the Ukraine-Russia war,” he added.

He said, “We want to keep electricity prices at a tolerable level. We are working to ensure uninterrupted power supply across the country . . . power situation is improving.”

Earlier, the BERC fixed per unit of electricity price at Tk 6.20 at bulk rate which will effect from December 1, 2022.

BERC Chairman Abdul Jalil announced the new power rate at a press briefing at his conference room in the city’s Karwan Bazar.

The power tariff was Tk 5.17 per unit. “Besides, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) appealed for reviewing the new tariff, but the BERC rejected it,” he added.

The last tariff both in retail and bulk 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.