Bangladesh’s energy regulator is considering a reduction in wholesale electricity tariffs after reversing planned price hikes for low-income households, as state-run distributors warn of substantial revenue losses.
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) is expected to take a decision soon, although officials say the scale of any reduction remains under review.
The move follows BERC’s 3 June announcement raising both wholesale and retail electricity prices.
However, within a day, the regulator partially rolled back the decision, retaining previous tariff rates for residential consumers using up to 50 units under the lifeline category and up to 75 units under the first consumption slab.
Officials estimate that the rollback could reduce the combined revenues of distribution companies by around Tk2,300 crore.
The Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), which serves the largest number of consumers, is likely to bear the brunt, with projected losses of about Tk1,780 crore.
