DHAKA: The technical evaluation committee of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) on Sunday recommended that there is no need to increase of the retail power price for REB consumers rather the price would be increased by 0.27 percent after bulk price hike.

The committee made the recommendation in a mass hearing on the process of hiking power price at TCB Bhaban at Karwan Bazar in the city in the morning.

Rural Electrification Board (REB) chairman Brigadier General Moin Uddin placed the proposal before the BERC.

In the proposal, the REB sought a 15.60 percent rise in its tariffs while 4.71 percent hike in the electricity tariff for irrigation.

REB also said there are some 1.7 crore electricity users in rural areas of the country which is 70 percent of country’s total users.  Of those, 86 percent (92 lakh) are residential. 

As per the REB proposal, tariff of each unit of electricity for individual users will go up to Tk 5.50-6 from existing Tk 5.01-Tk 5.19 from 76 to 300 units. 

REB proposed tariff of each unit of electricity for individual users will go up to Tk 5.42-8.51 from existing Tk 6.50-Tk 9 from 301 to 600 units.  For up to 600 units electricity users was proposed to increase at Tk 10.50 from existing Tk 9.93.

BERC chairman AR Khan, member Dr Selim Mahmud, and engineers Delwar Hossain, Rahman Murshed and Maksudul Haq received the mass hearing on it.

On January 22, the BERC technical committee recommended a 7.83 percent hike for BPDB consumers if bulk price hiked. Otherwise it would be increased by 3.09 percent.

On January, BERC recommended increasing the bulk power price by 5.16 percent though Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) proposed to increase the power price by 18.12 percent (Tk 0.85 per unit) at wholesale level.

Besides, the committee of BERC on Wednesday recommended increasing of the wheeling charge by 1.53 percent in response to the proposal of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB).

BDST: 1635 HRS, JAN 25, 2015