CEB To Reduce Power Cuts
Shakila Ifham
April 10, 2022
The Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) Management assured that they would provide electricity without load shedding during the weekend and the Sinhala and Tamil festive season. This is also the Holy Month of Ramadan, an official said.
One of the Board’s Additional General Manger told The Earthlanka that with Indian Credit Line they would be getting 12,000MT diesel on every weekly basis.
He also said that demand be would much less next week due to the holidays in most factories and industries.
However, he said that CEB cannot go on without a tariff hike. “We have an additional cost of Rs. 20 every unit produced. “Last time (2013) when tariff hike was done USD was Rs. 130, today almost Rs. 320, we cannot go on like this, the government had refused the proposal for a tariff hike. People’s Bank is not releasing the money. If this trend goes on CEB has to be closed down,” he added.
It is also learnt that CEB gamble had failed despite routine power cutting and load shedding to minimise energy intake. A senior engineer of the Board of Management, stressing consumers had not put any effort to save electricity instead they had continued with their day to day activities without any sacrifices.
CEB is left with no choice but to go for a power hike between 23.3 and 25 per cent, adding amount varies.
He that the amount was calculated by the electricity regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).
He said that of the 6.7 million electricity consumers, some 2.3 million consumers pay a monthly bill of Rs. 150,00. “This is apart from heavily subsidised rates for religious places and industrial partner –hotels etc.,” he added.
He also said that the last tariff revision was done in 2013. He also said that electrifyingctrify wastage of eight per cent is better than the US and Japan.
He warned if the consumers don’t cut down particularly heating and cooling activities the situation would be disastrous. “If we don’t get rains in May, we have to increase power cuts for more than eight hours per day,” he stressed.
The Additional General Manager also said that excessive usage is one of the major causes of the ongoing fuel shortage.
He also said that the hydropower situation is becoming worse day by day. “Irrigation and farming are two of the major areas water needs to be pumped in.
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