A technical committee of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday recommended raising the price of bulk electricity by 11.78 per cent against proposal of state-run Power Development Board to raise the price 14.78 per cent.
The technical committee presented its finding at a public hearing held by the Energy Commission at Karwan Bazar in the capital.
The BERC began a series of public hearings on Monday on the proposals of power utilities to raise prices of electricity at various rates amid protests from left democratic forces against the move.
On Tuesday, the commission would hold the hearing on the proposal of the PDB to raise retail price of electricity for its consumers in Chittagong, Mymernsingh and Sylhet divisions.
BERC would hold hearings on the proposals of five other power distribution agencies in the next five working days.
The commission would hold the hearing on the power board’s proposal for retail price hike by 3 per cent on September 26, Rural Electrification Board’s proposal for 10.75 per cent hike on September 27, Dhaka Power Distribution Company’s proposal for 6.24 per cent hike on September 28, Dhaka Electric Supply Company’s proposal for 6.34 per cent hike on October 2, West-Zone Power Distribution Company’s proposal for 10.36 per cent hike on October 3 and North-West Zone Power Distribution Company’s proposal for 24 per cent hike on October 4, according to the schedule.
The commission would also be requested to consider the price of bulk electricity, if it is increased following the power board’s demand, in determining the retail tariff of electricity, said officials of power distribution utilities.
Citing higher prices of fuel oils and growing dependence on them, the commission already raised the average retail price of electricity by 69.25 per cent, up from Tk 3.76 per kilowatt-hour or unit to Tk 6.33, in eight phases, between March 2010 and September 2015.
The commission also increased the bulk price of electricity by 106.75 per cent, up from Tk 2.37 per unit to Tk 4.90 per unit, in seven phases, between March 2011 and September 2015.
