An increase in electricity rates, which is imposed annually in the summer to discourage high consumption, takes effect today, with a potential maximum increase of 27 percent, state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) said yesterday.
However, electricity prices would stay flat at NT$0.63 per kilowatt-hours (kWh) for about 3.72 million households that consume 120kWh or less a month, Taipower said.
Under the summer rate scheme, electricity rates would increase to NT$2.38 per kWh, from NT$2.10, for 5 million households that consume from 121kWh to 330kWh, and for households that consume 501KWh to 700kWh per month, their electricity bills would increase to NT$4.8 per kWh from NT$3.94, while electricity rates for households that consume 1,000kWh or more a month would see rates rise to NT$6.41 per kWh from NT$5.03, the company said.
Photo: CNA
The higher summer rates, introduced in 1989, would be in effect until Sept. 30, and would be calculated for each household or company based on their consumption, Taipower said.
This year, summer rates could increase up to 27 percent compared with standard rates in the October-to-May period, the company said.
Under the summer rate system, the average household is expected to pay NT$506 more per month for electricity this year, Taipower said.
The average household consumption in Taiwan in summer last year was 434kWh per month, compared with 291kWh per month for the rest of the year, it said. Overall, the average household consumption was 339kWh per month for the whole of last year, it added.
Power usage is likely to increase this summer amid the COVID-19 outbreak, which has resulted in more people staying at home to avoid risk of infection, Taipower spokesperson Chang Ting-shu (張廷抒) said.
Taiwan experienced two rounds of rolling blackouts last month due to human error and a supply shortfall respectively, prompting concerns about a stable energy supply in summer.
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