With the high rainfalls experienced and the increased hydropower generation will cause revisions in the electricity bills, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) media spokesman Noel Priyantha said.

While addressing the media he said there has been very heavy rainfall in the areas of the reservoirs generating hydro-electricity. As of yesterday, 96% of the reservoirs were filled to capacity, he said.

Accordingly, about 1,200 gigawatt hours have been conserved by hydropower. 

Currently, 65% of power generation is through hydroelectricity and 17% through thermal power. Moreover, renewable energy has increased to 75%. Around 80% of the electricity supply of the country is through energy.

With the increase in hydropower, there is a high possibility of electricity bills being revised, Priyantha said.

We will discuss with the relevant parties in the future and will conduct negotiations in this regard.

Previously, the authorities had given permission to revise the electricity tariff once in six months. Later, Cabinet approval was granted to revise the electricity tariffs every three months.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) received an additional income of Rs. 16 billion last month as hydropower generation was in full capacity due to the heavy rains, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said.

He told Parliament that a similar amount of income or something more was expected this month as well, as reservoirs have reached their full capacity and hydropower is also being generated to full capacity.

The Minister said the additional income will be used if the country experiences a drought in December, January and February as predicted.

However, he said the CEB had incurred an overall loss of Rs. 12 billion in the first ten months of this year.

The Minister said steps will be taken for a tariff revision and provide relief to the people if there was an additional income after finalising the balance sheet ending on December 31.

“After finalising the balance sheet on December 31, I will take steps to inform the Cabinet and do a price revision if there was an additional income,” he said.

-daily mirror