Retail power tariff hiked by 16.68% per unit amid subsidy cuts
The wholesale price has been increased from Tk7 per unit to an average of Tk8.39, while at the retail level, the average price per unit has increased from Tk9.11 to Tk10.63
In a major blow to inflation-burdened consumers, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has raised the consumer-level retail electricity price by 16.68% (Tk1.52) per unit on a weighted average.
The energy regulatory body made the official announcement during a press briefing held this afternoon (3 June) at its headquarters, following an official notice issued by the commission yesterday (2 June).
This massive upward revision will come into force from the billing month of June, pushing the weighted average consumer-level retail tariff up from Tk9.11 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to Tk10.63 per kWh.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The lowest price increase for customers in different slabs is 15%, and the highest is 19.94%.
The BERC order states that the wholesale price has been increased from the current price of Tk7 to an average price of Tk8.39, reports Prothom Alo.
Meanwhile, at the retail level, the average price per unit has increased from Tk9.11 to Tk10.63.
The final decision went beyond the initial baseline recommendations of the BERC's own internal experts.
Following a review of the separate financial adjustment proposals submitted by the country's primary power generation, transmission, and distribution entities, the Technical Evaluation Committee of BERC had originally recommended a lower weighted average increase of Tk1.25 per kWh in retail electricity tariffs.
The evaluation committee noted that the proposed tariff adjustment could significantly curb public spending, reducing government power subsidies by up to Tk13,000 crore in the 2026-27 fiscal year.
The regulatory milestone concludes a weeks-long process of institutional review and civic debate.
